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by Alphametics, LaPetiteMorteKitty



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Multi, No Despair AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 03:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alphametics/pseuds/Alphametics, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaPetiteMorteKitty/pseuds/LaPetiteMorteKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lately, Souda had started to realize that he lived a rather lonely life. He spent all day working at his shop repairing cars by himself. He didn't really want a work partner. He wanted a companion. A friend of his figures that she could hook him up, but will these dates really lead him to finding his Mr. Right or were his intuitions about a certain animal breeder right all along?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue:  The "Best Dates"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alphametics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alphametics/gifts).



Prologue

 

_The human body is a machine. Much like a car. The engine is the heart. The brain, the driver at the steering wheel. Every single organ is part of that machine. Parts can get old, damaged, broken, and need to be replaced or repaired. But there is one difference between a car and a human in terms of parts. In a car, you can blow out your engine but still be able to replace it and it’ll work just fine. A broken heart, however, isn’t that easy to fix, and the it is for that reason that love is so dangerous..._

 

* * *

 

 

It was close to closing time at a small, privately owned auto-repair shop. Or, at least it looked small. Some would call its paint job a bit bizarre, bright yellow exterior walls with bright pink awnings, but to it’s owner, it was perfect. It stood out to everyone, which was important for a  borderline famous shop such as this.

 

This shop was owned by a legend in the world of technology and mechanics, Kazuichi Souda. Having graduated Hopes Peak Academy, his skills he’d developed as a Super High-School Level Mechanic had flourished and his career took off. The small look of his shop was an illusion hiding the large garage in the back. He was known far and wide as a mechanic that could fix nearly anything given the tools. He’d occasionally have to take off site jobs around the world to repair things varying from the high quality collector’s cars of wealthy businessmen and celebrities, to commercial jets, to even military projects such as tanks and drones. Even with this high paying job, however, does he still appreciate the life of his own body shop, serving the people of his community locally with their car troubles, and occasional repair of random mechanical items like watches and clocks and DVD players when he could for a lot less than most commercial places.

 

He sighed as he rolled out on the dolly he used to help him move from under the cars and stood up. He looked into the window that lead to the front desk where he handled “business” such as money transactions and discussing the problems the cars had. He wiped a bit of grease from his face with a rag before opening the door and flopping down in his swivel chair. A routine oil leak and axel realignment. Nothing he hadn’t seen before... He’d have to admit, for someone in his position, handling all these jobs in a timely manor... it was starting to get lonely.

 

He had friends, sure, but that wasn’t the loneliness he was thinking about. He went out with friends every so often, helped them with their mechanical and electronic problems, and so on, but he also spent almost all day at work alone, and then, after closing most nights, he’d return to his single bedroom apartment and just watch a little tv and go to sleep. He’d considered getting some animals, but always worried he wouldn’t know how to properly take care of them.

 

At this moment, he looked out the window and noticed the owner of the pet shop across the street closing shop for the night and walking off into the night. That Tanaka.... Souda found himself staring out at the man with the purple scarf randomly when he was in his office. He’d always be making sure each of the animals got special attention and helping his customers find the perfect pet... or perhaps he was making sure the pets got the right owner. He always seemed a little eccentric. Souda was in school with him. Super High-School Level Animal Breeder Gundam Tanaka, said to be able to speak to the animals. Occasionally, a hamster or 4 would pop out from under his scarf while he was at school and he’d even seen that still happening while he was at work recently. He apparently had bred all the animals himself that he had in the shop, so they were the highest quality. Rumors were that he even felt a bit guilty selling animals for money at all, and Souda had to admit that he found that a little sweet. A lot of things about Gundam were sweet.

 

It was then that it hit him. He longed for companionship this entire time! He never did have much luck when he was in school talking to girls. A lot of them were frightened by his abnormal dental situation, since apparently shark teeth are actually a turn off for a lot of people, and if they could get past his teeth, he’d typically stumble over his words, or himself, trying to express his feelings. This thought brought him to looking at his desk. Him and Gundam had never really talked that much in school, and hadn’t talked at all since they graduated. The fact that their shops were across from each other was completely coincidental. He was sure that if he tried to go out to talk to the man, he would just end up messing up anyway. This man didn’t know him very well and vice versa. It wouldn’t end well trying to talk to him. Or at least he thought so. Maybe if he just got in early and visited him on lunch he cou-

 

His thoughts were cut short by the sound of the bell on the door ringing. He heard a familiar voice when he looked up. “Kazuichi-chan! Ibuki is here for to see her best friend~!”

 

“Oh, Ibuki.” He smiled a bit to see her. She had been his friend since his time in Hopes Peak. It’s always good to have strong friendships. Ibuki was something. Her personality was as bright as the streaks in her hair. Thinking about that just made him realize he really wasn’t that good with words. Never the less, the “Super High-School Level Light Music Club Member” owned a karaoke club a few streets down, she was still trying to figure out exactly what to use her skills for. Whether she would attempt a solo singing career or form a group was still up in the air. “Why’d you stop by? I was actually about to close shop for the night.”

 

“Ibuki didn’t think she needed a reason to come see her friends at their work on a Thursday night. Ibuki just hadn’t really talked to you in about a week!” She tilted her head. “You seem a little... off. Tell Ibuki what’s wrong?”

  
Souda sighed a little. “Oh... just... I’ve been thinking... You know... it does kind of get a bit lonely around here. I was... considering trying dating. Getting myself out there, you know? If only I knew where to start...” He stood up and pushed his chair under the desk, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

 

It was then that he was taken by surprise as his friend had an idea. She pulled him close, an arm around his waist. “You know, Ibuki has a lot of single friends...” She thought for a second. “Ibuki will help! She knows the best dates~”

 

Souda gulped slightly. “No, really... that’s okay.” He didn’t really want to hook up with some random person he may not know anything about. If they were Ibuki’s friends, though, they couldn’t be that bad... could they?

 

“No, she insists. Ibuki will ask around and see who is up for a date. Ibuki PROMISES that she will help!”  
  


“Okay then...” He gulped again. ‘ _This isn’t gonna be good..._ ’

 

Ibuki let go of him. “Great. Ibuki will call you when she finds Kazuichi-chan a date~” She walked to the door. “Byyeeeeee~”

 

Souda smiled and waved back as she left the store. He had a slight smile on his face, although it was needless to say he was still nervous. This did seem a little promising. At least he’d have plans for the weekend if this panned out.

 

He closed up shop and walked to his nearby apartment. He was hungry; he hadn’t eaten since lunch since he’d stayed to work a bit late since he worked alone. He checked the fridge, there was some leftover pizza from last night and about half of a 2-litre bottle of cola. Good enough for a quick little meal before bed.

 

He flopped down on the couch with his reheated pizza and watched a little tv while he ate before he went to bed.

 

Has he changed into his bright yellow pj’s with wrench print, he contemplated the day. He’d soon be on a date with someone. The thought actually made him rather excited and happy. He’d just have to wait for a call or visit from Ibuki.

 

‘ _What could possibly go wrong?_ ’ he thought as he got under the covers, slowly drifting off into his own personal dream land.

 


	2. First Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ibuki finally finds a date for Souda. Kiyotaka Ishimaru. He seems like a real nice guy. If he's one of Ibuki's friends, so this couldn't be that bad, right?

Chapter 1

 

That Friday started out like any other Friday. Souda would come into the shop, finish up any leftover work from the day before, and then work between the garage and the front desk, checking cars in and out, moving them to and from the garage in the back. When people weren’t at the front desk, he’d be in the back working on the various issues people had with their vehicles. It wasn’t until about halfway through the day that something a little unusual happened.

 

He heard the buzzer that told him when someone was at the desk waiting for him and looked at the monitor. “Oowada-san?” He practically jumped out from under the car he was working on and walked to the front office. “Long time no see, buddy!”

 

Mondo Oowada was one of his old school friends. Super High-School Level Gang Leader had been his title, and he still didn’t understand why that was one of the fields that they would want to help make “fated for success,” but he’d leave that be for now; he didn’t bother questioning the school’s logic. He was quite the interesting one, but he had a heart of gold. He was a class or two ahead of him, but they’d gotten along. He even helped Souda out of some issues when he was picked on about his unique “dental situation.” Having such a unique... hairstyle did get him some attention too, so it wasn’t like he didn’t know how to deal with people trying to poke fun at him before they knew who he was. He’d even tried to give him lessons on appearing more tough, but those never really panned out in the long run.

 

“Hey, brother! How’ve you been?” He gave Souda a pat on the shoulder. “Been at least a few months.”

 

“It’s good, it’s good. Work as usual, ya know? Just tryin’ ta make a difference in the world.” He chuckled a bit.

 

“Get yourself a date yet, Souda? You always did have a certain... _way_ , with the ladies~” Souda glared a little, but his tone, laugh, and smile made it clear that it was just a joke. Souda grinned back. He need not be too phased by that: Relationships were such a high school thing, and he had plans to move his love life forward.

 

“Actually, no, but I have plans. Ibuki said she’d look to see if any of her friends were up for one. Awful nice a her, actually.” He smiled that big toothy grin of his and chuckled. “To be honest, I am a little nervous, but anyone Mioda-san picks can’t be that bad, right?”

 

“Ibuki Mioda... wasn’t she like... some sort of singer back at ol’ Hope’s Peak?” Mondo scratched his head.

 

“Super High-School Level Light Music Club Member. I think she mentioned something to me about how she was still deciding if she wanted to have a solo career or get into a group and possibly have to split due to creative differences again,” he sighed. “That girl certainly is something.” He scratched his head. “Anyway, any reason for you to be here? Gang life gotten too tough for ya?”

 

Mondo chuckled in return. “No, it’s as great as ever. That’s actually why I’m here. My bike’s got some sort of issue, and since you’re one of the few people I trust around it...”

 

“I understand. I’ll try to get it fixed by tomorrow or Sunday. Lotsa customers, as usual for the weekend. Trying to get their cars in while they don’t gotta work.” He smirked a bit. “Bring ‘er around back and I’ll fix ‘er up good!” Souda gave him a thumbs up and they both laughed.

 

“Alright. Thanks, bud!” Mondo walked out of the front entrance to bring the bike around back. Souda knew that people usually brought their bikes to the store they bought them from, but, considering that Mondo was the leader of the largest biker gang in the country, it was obvious that he wouldn’t just trust anyone with his wheels. Go to the wrong shop and you could come back to your bike exploding or something! Gang life was definitely something that he didn’t want to get involved in too much, but when political leaders were calling on him to fix their tanks and planes, this would be the least of his worries.

 

As he started to walk to the back to open the door to the garage, his cell phone rang. “Huh?” He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the caller ID. “Ibuki?” He hastily answered. “Hey, ‘sup?”

 

“Oh, Ibuki hopes she didn’t call at a bad time.”

 

“No, not like my head was under a car or somethin’, like that one time you ran into the garage.” He chuckled.

 

“Oh, Ibuki is still sorry for that.” There was a nervous chuckle. “But, do you have a moment?”

 

“Yeah, I do. What is it?” Souda was excited. He had a feeling that he knew what this was about.

 

“Kazuichi-chan, I found you a date!” She seemed really excited about this, almost ten times more excited than he was.

 

“Oh, with who?” Souda was definitely curious. Not like she’d pick someone she knew he didn’t get along with from school.

 

“Oh, Kiyotaka-chan is just so excited to get to go out with you!” She practically giggled.

 

“Who?” He was a little confused.

 

“Kiyotaka Ishimaru. He was 2 classes above us. Ibuki tried very hard to make friends with as many people as possible, remember?”

 

“Yeah, I remember.” He tried to balance his phone on his shoulder as he pulled out the keys to the main garage door from his pocket and flipped through them.

 

“He was always so awkward. One conversation I sat in on I found out that he didn’t even know what the possible good came from watching TV. Such a silly one. But are you willing to take him up on the offer?”

 

“Of course! This could be the start of my life _with_ someone! Why would I skip out on a chance on that? I’m sure he’s a great guy.” He grinned, putting the key on the hole and turning it.

 

“Alright, he’ll be over to make the plans tonight, alright? Ibuki out!” The phone clicked and hung up.

 

Souda smiled as he slid up the garage door to see Mondo there. “Oi! What took ya?”

 

“Oh, sorry, phone call. I got a date~!”

 

“Good for you, bro!” He gave Souda thumbs up. “Now, here she is, take good care of ‘er, okay?”

 

“You have my word as a man, okay?” He knew how serious Mondo was about these sorts of things.

 

“And I’m gonna hold ya to it.” He held out his hand and Souda shook it. “When should I be back?”

 

Souda had to think for a second. “Well, my date is probably gonna be on Saturday so I may need to close up shop a little early that day, so... how about Sunday morning?”

 

“Sounds good. See ya then!” With that, Mondo walked away, tossing the keys to his bike that Souda fumbled catching.

 

He moved the bike inside and closed the garage door. He had to be EXTREMELY careful with this one.

 

He started checking it out; something was caught in the front tire and there was an issue with the exhaust, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

 

After about 30 minutes of no new customers, he treated himself to a little computer time while eating his lunch. He couldn’t help this sneaking suspicion that this Ishimaru guy sounded familiar, and it wouldn’t stop bothering him until he knew for certain.

 

As he took a bite out of the sandwich he’d bought on the way to work, he typed in the name. “Kiyo...ta...ka.... Ishi... maru... Ah! A result.” He read the article to himself. “Hope’s Peak Academy alumni. He held the title of Super High-School Level Hall Monitor and graduated with top marks. After graduating, he went on to become chief of police... Hmmmm.... Oh, there’s a picture!” The moment he saw it he remembered. “Hope’s Peak 78th class. Same class as Oowada-san.” He looked over the class picture at the 16 graduates. All the classes were rather small since there was only so many super talented people in the country. He could tell from the photo that Mondo and him at least got along. Why had he never really mentioned him before though? He recognized Ishimaru more for the fact that he was the one who gave his class the new student orientation when they first entered as the 79th class and showed them around the school.

 

It really got him wondering what happened to most of his own graduating class after the left the academy. He knew were Ibuki was, he knew that Tanaka was working the pet shop across the street, and he’d heard rumors, such as Nanami participating in gaming competitions world wide, Hanamura becoming a world class chef, making his family’s restaurant world famous, and and many other good things. What bothered him the most was that one peculiar student. Their class’s “Luckster,” Nagito Komaeda.... what is he currently working in? He always seemed a little off but was at least an incredibly friendly sort of guy... at least he thought so.

 

He was lost in thought until the ringing of the buzzer snapped him out of his daze. ‘ _Oh yeah... I’m still at work; shit, better not slack off now._ ’ He put the other half of his sandwich away to eat for dinner. “Yes, how may I help you?”

 

It was a rather busy day since people wanted to get their cars in before the weekend, but it almost didn’t even seem like work to him. He was in high spirits, and that moment was only made better when a certain visitor. “Good evening! I am here to see Kazuichi Souda, the proprietor of this establishment!”

 

Souda sat up in his chair. “Yeah, that’s me. Ishimaru?” He looked at the doorway and there stood the spiky haired, red-eyed man with eyebrows that many thought defied the laws of physics, wearing a black uniform with his usual tall black boots. “Please, come in.”

 

“Yes, I am Super High-School Graduate Level Police Chief Kiyotaka Ishimaru! A pleasure to make your acquaintance!” He walked over and held his hand out for Souda to shake.

 

Souda shook his hand, grinning. He had a firm feel about him from his handshake, to his speech pattern, to his posture. He was the kind of person the demanded your obedience and attention. The air of importance he carried was uncanny. “Kazuichi Souda, graduated master mechanic. Thank you for taking up that offer for a date!”

 

“Oh, it’s no problem at all!” He chuckled. “I, too, have been bit with the urge for some companionship recently. My so-called ‘nerdy’ behavior did attract some attention when I was still in school, but no one ever said it was the ‘good’ kind of attention....” He sighed a little before remembering that he was talking to a prospective life partner here. Now was not time to be depressing. “Oh, I’m sorry, I got a little ahead of myself. Anyway, let us carry on!” He smiled a bit, causing a slight reddening of Souda’s face.

 

‘ _He’s kinda cute... in a dorky sort of way,_ ’ thought Souda, who was attempting to hide his red cheeks by diverting his gaze. “So... what do ya plan to do for our date?”

 

Ishimaru took a moment to think before he burst out rather excitedly. “I was thinking that perhaps we could go with the standard arrangements for a ‘date’ and go out to dinner together! My treat! Do you accept my offer?” He pointed at Souda almost instinctively.

 

“Of course!” he practically shouted before covering his mouth, embarrassed at how overly excited he sounded. “Erm... yeah. I’d love to.” He grinned, letting his pointy teeth show.

 

“Alright, it’s settled then!” Ishimaru grinned that friendly grin of his, which almost matched Souda’s in wideness. “How about I come pick you up at around 6pm? Is that good?”

 

“Yeah, that’d be good. Here’s my address.” He quickly scribbled it down on a piece of paper and handed it to him. “See ya then!”  
  
“I’ll be looking forward to it!” He started to walk to the door, only to stop and turn. “Oh, and... your hair is actually... really pretty. It’s a nice color.” His face flushed as he walked out of the door.

 

Souda, in almost a state of shock, turned bright red. It was a mixture of that compliment, and the fact that he noticed, as the chief walked out, another thing about him. He had a really firm ass.

 

Souda locked up shop for the night, hopped on his bike, got a extra large cola and some take out at a fast food place, and biked home in a happy mood. That night, his dreams were sweet again.

 

He spent his Saturday work day happily whistling away as he worked. He was able to get Mondo’s bike into perfect working order, along with about every other order for the weekend. By about 4 he was ready to close shop to go on his date.

 

He biked home excitedly to change. He didn’t expect this to be a super formal occasion, but he also didn’t want to go out smelling like gasoline, oil, grease and sweat.

 

He put his bike in the garage and walked upstairs, unlocking the door to his apartment and rushing to his bedroom. He showered quickly and pulled on a pair of his blue, yellow and pink underwear. He stood in front of the closet wondering what would be suitable for this date. He didn’t really think it was a suit and tie occasion, but couldn’t go in there looking like a slob. He found a bright yellow shirt with a long blue stripe running vertically on the right side of his chest and a pair of plain black jeans. ‘ _This’ll do just fine~_ ’ He grinned as he looked at himself in the mirror, his hair dripping wet still from the shower.

 

The next 30 minutes were spent putting the laundry in the washing machine, making sure his teeth were brushed and no extra bits of food were stuck in them, washing the dishes. He combed his hair, fluffing it up, spraying it so it’d stay, and braiding the single braid on the left side. He switched out for his other contacts and returned the screw earrings back to their proper place in his ears. He finished by pulling on some yellow converse-style sneakers with pink stripe accents.

 

He checked the clock; he’d taken 10 minutes to bike home, 20 to shower, and 30 minutes getting ready and dealing with simple house tasks like laundry and dishes. The laundry needed to be put into the dryer and that would take about 40 minutes, so he’d have enough time to finish that and still be able to sit around and watch some TV before he left.

 

He did just that. He spent 5 minutes going down to the basement level, moving his laundry to a dryer, waited there for 40 minutes, went back upstairs, spent a few minutes hanging up his clothing, and as he sat down there was a ringing at his doorbell. “Eh? It’s only 5:50...” He shrugged and went to the door. Upon opening it, he saw the familiar face of his date. “Oh, Ishimaru-kun. You’re a bit early, ain’t cha?”

 

“But of course! I hadn’t been here before and wanted to make sure that I read the address right! I’d rather arrive early instead of later after all; Punctuality is very important if you want to make a good impression, regardless of the case!” He was as energetic as ever. “You are looking nice this evening, Kazuichi-kun!” Souda’s face turned a light pink, although he wasn’t sure if it was the compliment or the fact that he was addressing him by his first name that caused it. “And oh, that is quite the mane you have there! Perhaps it should have a warning sign, with how spikey it is!” He chuckled slightly. His manner of speaking certainly did have an effect on the joke. It was still adorable the way he talked but Souda picked up easily on how awkward this was for him.

 

“Oh, don’t cha’ worry your little head. It’s perfectly safe and actually still a bit on the soft side.” He grinned. He finally took a chance to look over his date. “Oi, Kiyotaka-san! You’re wearin’ that uniform of yours out on the date?”

 

He chuckled again. “Hahaha! I understand that, considering your profession, you would not understand why I would keep wearing this. Remember, Kazuichi-kun, I am a member of the police force, and crime never sleeps! I must remain vigilant and never let my guard down. I never did want to take off my uniform, even when I still went to school!”

 

Souda nodded as he talked, but at this moment he finally realized that on his belt were many things, specifically the handcuffs, pepper spray, taser, and gun. Wait... Gun? As much as he respected Ishimaru for putting his life on the line every day for the good of the people, he couldn’t see why anyone would give this guy a gun. Just.... he seemed a bit of a nervous type. But, since training was required, he’d only have to hope that he knew how to use all his supplies properly.

 

“So, shall we carry on to my vehicle? It’s parked right outside! I’d like very much to get moving and become properly acquainted with you, Kazuichi-kun!” He smiled that big grin of his and held out his hand for Souda to take.

 

With another faint blush, he took Ishimaru’s hand and smiled. “Yeah, let’s get this date thing goin’!” He was in a state of bliss. This night would be wonderful. He could feel it!

 

They walked down the stairs and out to the car. He was surprised to see a small black Beetle as opposed to a police car. Souda would guess that, even for an ever vigilant police chief, driving the car everywhere might be a bit excessive. He’d probably feel bad about using the gas in it for leisure regardless.

 

Souda soon snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Ishimaru holding the car door open for him. “After you, Kazuichi-kun~” Souda’s face became an even deeper shade of red, and he just couldn’t get over the smile on Ishimaru’s face. He really did see a certain charm and cuteness in it that he didn’t realize back when they were at school.

 

“Nice ride!” exclaimed Souda, as he moved into the passenger side seat, buckling his seatbelt. “I’m almost surprised ya didn’t take your police car. I bet she’s a beauty too~”

 

“Oh, thank you, Kazuichi-kun!” He sat down in the driver side, buckling his seatbelt on instinct. “I probably would but that gas costs money and I don’t want to be wasting tax money just to have a joy ride! Protecting the public is first priority! I can verify, though, that the police cars run fine, even when rushing after a potential culprit!” He started the car. “If any of the cars do need repairs in the future, I will recommend your body shop as the first place to go, though. After all, I’ve heard wonderful things about your work!” The car started moving. “Honestly, I wonder how you manage to run that place all on your own! Isn’t it… difficult… to fix all those vehicles by yourself?”

 

Souda was a bit surprised. For someone who seemed so awkward at first, he sure seems to open up once you try to get to know him. “Oh, it ain’t that hard for me. I just have this so called ‘natural talent’ fer it. Like, when I was still working at the bike shop, my family’s car broke down and my dad tried lookin’ at it, and, curious, I just went up and started asking him what some of the parts were and what was wrong with the car itself. I picked it up fast and before I knew it, the car was fixed. That’s when I got interested in cars n’ the like. I’d also take random things apart, just to see how they worked. My parents were… ‘less than happy’ when they’d come in and see my having taken apart our TV.” He chuckled a bit and Ishimaru laughed along with him. “Honestly, what I do ain’t nothin’. What you do amazes me, Kiyotaka-kun.”

 

“It… It does?” Ishimaru couldn’t help but blush at this statement.

 

“Yeah…. I mean like, not everyone can just do what you’re doin’. You’re putting your life on the line to protect people. You gotta think fast, and be quick to react ta things. If there’s a more honorable job in this ‘ere world, the hell if I know it!” He grinned a big toothy grin at Ishimaru, who turned red, chuckling lightly.

 

“T-thanks, Kazuichi-kun...” He cleared his throat. “Much like you have a passion for cars, I have a passion for the rules. The rules are what keep the world from turning to utter chaos. The rules were made to protect people, whether it was the kindergarten rules of no running in the halls, or the laws that tell us not to steal or hurt anyone, I want to help enforce these rule in any way I can and keep people safe! All I ever wanted was to help people.” He let out a sincere smile. “I’m glad you understand. After all, even at Hope’s Peak, I was still a little ‘goody goody’ for some people’s tastes. I appreciate your kind words.”  
  
“No problem.” He could definitely tell that Ishimaru was passionate about what he did. Most students at Hope’s Peak had been, but this boy had determination. With how he talked about his school life, though, he could tell one thing: this was his first date too. He let himself zone out for a bit.

 

In no time, they’d arrived at the restaurant, and Souda snapped out of his daze when he noticed Ishimaru, once again, was holding the door open for him. ‘Polite little guy...’ he thought to himself, until he stepped out of the car and realized that he was actually a little shorter than Ishimaru was.

 

As he stepped out of the car, he noticed Ishimaru holding out his hand and took it again, smiling. The public displays of affection were starting to get less embarrassing after that car ride.

 

“Did you enjoy the ride? Was my driving satisfactory? Does my hair look okay?” Souda smirked a little at the tiny panic that Ishimaru was in. He seemed a bit worried.

 

Souda moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder. “You did just fine. Your hair looks great and your driving was perfect. Now calm down, silly~” He gave him a reassuring smile which managed to calm Ishimaru’s nerves. “You okay now?”

 

Ishimaru smiled a little back. “Thank you, Kazuichi-kun. Now let us get our dinner!” He gripped Souda’s hand tightly and walked into the restaurant.

 

Souda took a moment to take in his surroundings, noting that it was a rather nice place they were eating at. He knew it wasn’t the most expensive place, but it was more snazzy than the places that he’d usually go to alone. His thoughts were, yet again, interrupted when the host spoke up. “Hello there. How many are we seating tonight?”

 

“Oh, yes, It’s just the two of us, good sir. How are you this evening?” At least Ishimaru had the best manners around. Souda was sure he’d probably disrespected someone with how much he’d been out of it lately.

 

“Oh, I’m fine~ Thanks for asking though!” The host picked up the menus from the counter. “Yes, this way.”

 

Souda looked around as he walked to their table. He was so focused on the surroundings that he didn’t notice a chair and tripped over it, landing on his face with a distinct ‘OOF!’ This date wasn’t starting too well.

 

“K-kazuichi-kun! What happened?!” Ishimaru ran over and tripped over the same chair and landed on top of Souda. “You should be more careful, Kazuichi-kun!” He tried to push the chair out of the way. “You broke my fall quite nicely though, thank you, Kazuichi-kun!”

 

“Don’t mention it, really.” He started to wiggle out from under Ishimaru. “You tripped over the same chair. I guess maybe you shouldn’t run in the restaurant? School rules apply in most public places, I guess.” He smiled slightly, crawling out from under the collapsed Kiyotaka. He stood up and dusted himself off before helping Ishimaru to his feet. “You should be careful too, officer~” He chuckled slightly until he realized that he was just laying under Ishimaru a second ago and the pink finally came to his face.

 

“Oh, I hope you guys are okay! I didn’t see that chair there. The drinks are on the house!” The host seemed pretty sympathetic, so at least that was good.

 

They finally made it to the table and Ishimaru pulled out the chair for Souda to sit in, making Souda even more flustered at the polite behavior he was displaying.

 

The waitress walked up shortly after that. “Hello, I’ll be serving you tonight. What would you like to drink?”

 

Ishimaru grinned. “Good evening, madam! I’d like a glass of water, please! It’s the best for the teeth and for the body!”

 

“And you, sir~?” The server smiled at him.

 

“Oh, me, I’ll have a glass of cola.” He grinned.

 

“Alright, I’ll be right back with your drinks, so try to be ready to order~” The waitress smiled and walked away.

 

Ishimaru looked to him. “Maybe you should ask for a side glass of water to drink with your cola. Water is quite essential for survival and you should drink a bunch a day! It’ll also help your teeth. With how sharp they are, you could do well to try to avoid hassle at the dentist!” He had a genuinely concerned look on his face.

 

Souda scratched back of his head. “I think I’m doing fine. I just really like cola.” He knew he meant well with his statements, so he tried to ignore how it sounded like he was attempting to give him a lecture on proper oral hygiene.

 

“I am curious, though, how do your dentist visits go?” He tilted his head and gave a questioning gaze. “Your teeth look very well maintained, but they are so sharp. It surely must be painful for your dental technician to tend to your teeth! You’ve never bitten them, have you?”

 

He chuckled nervously. “No, I haven’t, but it’s common on regular visits that they have to sedate me, just so I don’t go bitin’ if they reach too far back in my mouth. It’s been a problem ever since I was a lil’ one.” He sighed. “It’s one disadvantage, but luckily I have my good friend Hinata to drive me home when I’m completely out of it.”

 

“Excellent! It is good to know you keep up your hygiene and also that you are responsible when it comes to situations where you are incapacitated!”

 

Souda could only blink at this for about 10 seconds before his brain could process a response. “Uh, thanks. Anyway… what’re you up to in your life?”

 

The waitress came back with their drinks. “What could I get for you guys~”

 

“Oh, right, let me see…”  He picked up the menu and quickly started looking over what they had. “I’ll have the fresh salmon and the french fries, please.”

 

“And you sir?”

 

“Yes, I’ll have a side salad with thousand island dressing and the steak, medium well, with mashed potatoes. Please and thank you.”

 

“I’ll be back as soon as your orders are ready~” The waitress walked off again, leaving them to exchange idle chit chat.

 

“Oh, right, you were asking me about my future plans, correct?” Ishimaru took a sip from his glass of water and Souda nodded. “Well, I am looking to go to college relatively soon. My marks at Hope’s Peak were the highest that anyone had ever seen! So many colleges were attempting to recruit me, but I wanted to get in some work experience. So I joined the police force in my quest to keep people safe. I actually never expected to get promoted to chief so quickly! I really want to get into law. Maybe try to become a judge. Although, I was kind of hoping that I’d find that special someone while working….” He looked down a little and the salad came. “Oh, thank you so much!”

 

“Well, it’s great that you know what you’re doin’! I’m sure you’ll do fine in law school as well, and make a great judge.” Souda smiled. Ishimaru really had everything figured out. It’s always good to have a plan for life.

 

“Why, thank you, Kazuichi-kun! What are your life plans?” He put his napkin in his lap and started to eat his salad.

 

Souda scratched his head nervously. “Well, I’m kinda just gonna stay with what I’m doin’. I like workin’ with cars and helping people. I do wanna settle down with someone, that’s why I’m doing this whole datin’ thing.”

 

“Well, a toast!” Ishimaru lifted up his glass. “To a hopeful future!”  
  
Souda lifted up his glass of cola. “Yeah, to the future!” The glasses made a distinct clink and they both took a sip.

 

Ishimaru kept eating his salad, enjoying it a lot by what Souda could tell. Everything was going smoothly until Ishimaru accidentally left his glass too close to his fork.

 

When reaching for his fork at one point, he accidentally knocked over his glass, spilling it on the table cloth. “Oh no! I’ll get that cleaned up!” He rushed to clean it up as fast as he could, but once again, his rushing got the best of him and he accidentally knocked over Souda’s cola in an attempt to grab some napkins, and the cola spilled right in Souda’s lap. “Kazuichi-kun! I’m so sorry!” He bowed repeatedly to try to apologize.

 

“N-no, don’t apologize… it’s okay… I’m gonna go clean up in the restroom.” He wiped up as much as he could with his napkin. The cola was so cold… It was just plain uncomfortable… not to mention a waste of perfectly good cola. The only thing more awkward about this was the wetting of paper towels in the mens bathroom to try to clean as much cola out of his clothes as possible. It was so sticky….

 

Souda was able to get all cleaned up in about 5 minutes before he walked out into the dining area. He was greeted by a rather flustered Ishimaru waving at him. “H-hey, Kazuichi-kun… The waitress brought your food and a new cola… and helped clean up… In the future, if we have a spill, I should calm down and ask for help…. That was their advice…” He seemed genuinely upset in himself.

 

“Don’t feel bad, accidents happen. Usually not this often, but they happen. Hell, I make a living off accidents practically.” He chuckled slightly, taking his seat. “Now, just enjoy your steak, please, Kiyotaka-kun.”

 

“A-alright… T-thanks for going on this date with me….” He was obviously embarrassed, he was never this soft spoken. “I really appreciate it… I just didn't expect that so many mistakes would happen…” He carefully cut his steak and took a bite.

 

“It’s okay, really. I’m still enjoying your company.” He smiled as he saw Ishimaru’s nervous blush. He started eating his fish, still feeling a little sticky.

 

The rest of the dinner was rather silent, but as he ate, he could see Ishimaru’s resolve returning. He wasn’t going to let this night flop! That was the kind of person that he was.

 

After sharing an ice cream, Ishimaru paid the bill and they walked out. “Ya know, accidents aside, tonight was pretty nice.”

 

“Yes, it was pretty nice.” He smiled and held his hand out, Souda accepted it, but it was a lot more gentle than it was earlier. Maybe they could at least have a relaxing car ride home. That is what Souda needed. It was already almost 10 and he had to open the shop tomorrow. Mondo was coming for his motorcycle. He had to be awake for that.

 

10pm, the streets were almost empty. _Too_ empty...

 

“HOLD IT!” Souda felt something against his back and immediately jumped in front of Ishimaru. He looked and saw, it was a gun: someone was trying to rob them. Souda was trembling. Even with his tough guy facade he couldn’t help with life and death situations. “Give me your wallet, and no one gets hurt!”

 

Ishimaru immediately turned to the person. “You don’t know who you are dealing with!” He drew his own gun. “I’m the police chief in this district! Now, drop the gun. I’m taking you in!”

 

Souda was afraid that something horrible was gonna happen. Neither of them were moving, and he noticed Ishimaru shaking slightly. This wasn’t going too well. He slinked off to the side to hide from any possible misfires. Why couldn’t he help? He was strong enough… why couldn’t he help?

 

The culprit turned to make a run for it when Ishimaru fired what was supposed to be a warning shot off. The ‘warning shot’ not only made contact, but hit the culprit in the foot. “Fuck! My foot!” The culprit ran as fast as he could.  
  


“Ahhh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you!” He sighed. “I never was that good of a shot…” He looked behind him to see Souda trembling on the ground in fetal position. “Ka-kazuichi-kun? Are you okay?”

 

Souda took his hand and was helped up. “I… I wanna go home… can we please get to the car?” He was still shaking and he had wished he’d actually brought his hat… Maybe this was a sign that dating a police officer wasn’t right for him.

 

“Y-yes… of course…” They walked back to the car and Ishimaru called in that a robbery suspect with a bullet wound in his left foot may be coming to the hospital. It was the longest, most silent, and most awkward car ride ever. Souda was in shock at what had happened, and needed to get some rest after this.

 

As they pulled up by his apartment building, Souda let out a sigh of relief. They got out of the car, and Ishimaru escorted Souda back to his apartment.

 

“I… I’m sorry that happened. I am a police officer after all… it’s kind of expected that there are risks….” He was really disappointed in himself. He was sure he wrecked the date and also let the culprit escape.

 

“It’s okay… you couldn’t have prevented any of this… it’s not your fault…” Souda opened the door to his apartment and sighed. “Goodnight, Ishimaru… I had fun.”

 

“Yeah… goodnight…, Souda-kun.” A very disappointed Ishimaru sulked away as Souda shut the door.

 

Souda tossed his clothes off and pulled on a white undershirt. He could sleep in his boxers, he really didn't care. He was exhausted.

 

As he lay in bed, he sighed. ‘ _Yeah… better luck next time Souda… better luck next time..._ ’

 


	3. Chapter 2: Square One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his failed date with Ishimaru, Souda and Ishi go their separate ways, and Souda remembers that he wanted to talk to Tanaka. There is no harm in trying to ask the guy out, right?

**Chapter 2**

 

Souda was woken up by the familiar buzz of his alarm. He couldn’t help but feel a little defeated after last night’s debacle. He knew that Ibuki probably knew more people interested in him, but it was disappointing to see his date go sour like that.

 

He couldn’t keep thinking this way all day, though. He pulled on his jumpsuit, sneakers and hat, and walked to work, picking up breakfast on the way.

 

He checked over his work from yesterday and made sure that Mondo’s bike was ready for pick up. He’d probably be there around noon. He didn’t see his friend as much of a “morning” person.

 

It wasn’t too long after 11:30 that the door chimed and a familiar face walked into the shop. It was Ishimaru. “Hello, Souda-kun? Is it okay if I talk for a little bit?”

 

Souda jumped in his seat a bit at the voice. He had been lost in thought again. “Ishimaru? Y-yeah. Come right in!” Souda sat up properly in his spinning desk chair, trying not to let his posture slip in front of Ishimaru. Last thing he needs is a lecture about posture from a guy who seems to always be on his toes about everything.

 

“Well… I wanted to apologize about last night… I’m really sorry that this happened. I guess that me putting my life at risk every day is my own problem, but i didn’t want to drag you into it. I don’t know if you’d really want to… but we could try again.”

 

Souda was so caught up in Ishimaru that he didn’t notice someone else walk into the shop. He needed to get this straightened out. “I appreciate the offer, but I had time to think last night. You’re a police officer, and you will be out a lot and could get killed at any moment… I really starting this ‘dating’ thing with hopes of finding someone I could spend time with… Maybe another time but… not for now.” He frowned a little.

 

Ishimaru averted his eyes. “Y-yeah… I fully understand, Souda-san. It’s a risk to your well being as well as my life. I do hope we can still be-” It was then that Ishimaru felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a voice saying “hey.” His reaction was quick, but quite improper. “GAH!” He reached for his pepper spray and sprayed the “perpetrator” right in the eyes. It was Mondo.

 

“Ah, fuck!” He started rubbing his eyes. “Why’d you do that! I was tryin’ to say hi to ya! Shit, this hurts!”

 

“Okay bro, I got you!” Souda helped lead him to the nearest drinking fountain to wash his eyes out.

 

Ishimaru stood in shock for a bit when he realized who it was there. “A…. Aniki?”

After a few minutes, the stinging stopped in Mondo’s eyes and he was able to sit there calmly and could see again. “That definitely wasn’t the welcome I was expecting.” He blinked his eyes and shook his head. “I’m okay though. But… Is that really you, Ishimaru?”

 

“Yes it is, Oowada-kun!” His smile returned to his face. It was then that it hit Souda.

 

“Wait, you guys are friends?!” Souda held his head for a second, trying to comprehend this. “I mean, I know we all went to the same school, but really? Mondo never mentioned you to me, Ishimaru.”

 

“Woah there, calm down, bro. Kyodai here didn’t really talk to that many of the underclassmen. You have to remember that you’re at least one graduating class under us. I never really brought up any of my friends in conversation, did I?” He gave Souda a questioning look and Souda thought about it for a bit only to shake his head. “Now you understand.”

 

“Well, I met Souda-kun through Mioda-kun.” He smiled.

 

“Right, what’re ya doin’ here anyway? Needed car work done?” Mondo looked at him.

 

Ishimaru seemed a little nervous. “Souda-kun and I went on a date last night. It was nice but some things happened and we decided it would be best not to continue our ventures.” He sighed a little. “At least it went better than that date with Tanaka-san did.”

 

Souda did a double take. “Wait… Tanaka?” He was genuinely confused.

 

“Oh yes, it was about 3 months ago. We had a little altercation when on the date because he had brought his hamsters with him to the restaurant and we were kicked out. Rather unfortunate, but it’d be against health codes if he ate with them there. Pets aren’t allowed in restaurants.”

 

Souda was having a difficult time believing this, but at least it meant that Gundam was probably available.

 

“Oh, explains a lot.” He scratched his head a bit. “Still, it’s nice to see you again, Aniki. It’s been a while!” He placed a hand on Ishimaru’s shoulder and they laughed. “I hope you didn’t ‘forgetful beam’ me out of your memories!”

 

“Of course not! I just had a hard time getting to you. You know, the whole fact that you’re a gang leader and I’m a policeman. It’s awfully hard to think that the two of us could be friends by societal norms, and I didn’t want to get you in trouble!” He grew concerned. “I did miss you a whole bunch, though!”

 

“I missed you, too.” They just smiled at each other.

 

“Well, should I get your bike, Mondo-san?” Souda felt bad for interrupting, but he did have to keep business going. Mondo did come here for a reason, and Souda was pretty sure he didn't expect to meet up with an old friend in Souda’s shop.

 

“Oh yeah. I’m gonna catch up with my bro here. Can you bring her around front?”

 

Souda could just sense a more profound bond between these two. “Yeah, I’ll get ‘er. Hold on.” Souda walked into the back and could hear faint details as he picked out the right keys from the key rack and went to walk the bike around front. He heard Ishimaru describing what happened last night and how Mondo would hunt down the escaped culprit and teach him a lesson about ever messing with his bro. Mondo started talking about how he’s trying to decide when to retire from the gang life and chase his real dream of being a carpenter so he can fix things. They seemed so open with each other.

 

After bringing the bike around front. He was greeted by Mondo giving him a nice hefty tip on his work. “Thanks bro! Me and Kyodai are gonna keep catching up. Nice seeing ya!” He took the keys and started up his bike.

 

Ishimaru ran out behind him, stopping just short of Souda, bowing a bit. “Thank you so much for the date last night. And well… I am glad that I encountered Oowada-kun here. I… kinda meant to give you this last night… a little thank you for at least showing me a good time.” With that, he gave Souda a quick peck on the cheek before running to Mondo and getting on the back of his motorcycle. “GOODBYE KAZUICHI-KUN! GOOD LUCK!” He smiled and waved, before whispering something in Mondo’s ear about how it would be much safer to ride with a helmet before they sped off.

 

Souda stood there in a state of disbelief, almost unable to comprehend what just happened. When it finally hit him, he blushed a bright ruby red and pulled his hat down to attempt to hide it, running inside. He’d just been… kissed… by someone. It wasn’t on the lips, but it was still something. The blush didn’t go away until he remembered…. Ishimaru wasn’t going out with him anymore. That kiss was just a thank you for what he’d done the night before. He wasn’t making any plans to see him again for another date… He needed to find someone else.

 

As noon rolled by he was slumped over his desk, contemplating lunch. He wasn’t really that hungry, but something was eating at his stomach. He considered walking down to pick up some lunch, and lifted up his head. It was then that his eyes met the familiar sight of the pet shop across the street. Tanaka! He was so caught up in Ibuki’s offer that he forgot his plan to drop in and try to hook up with him! He would need all the determination he possessed to try to do this.

 

He went to the mirror set up by the desk and the door to the garage and checked his hair making sure his hat wasn’t loose. “Okay… you can do this Souda…” he muttered to himself. He walked out the front door and across the street to the little purple pet shop.

 

As the door opened, the buzzer hooked up made a noise that sounded like a cat meowing. ‘ _Pretty cute, I guess..._ ’ He looked around at all the cages and plastic containers. Tanaka had any pet you could imagine. Hamsters, of course, hedgehogs, kittens, puppies, full grown dogs and cats, chinchillas, rabbits, fish, birds, lizards, turtles, snakes…. SNAKES? He’d make a mental note to avoid the snake area for now. He noticed that many animals were running around in those plastic balls or playing with toys. It was like an animal wonderland. Even more so, it seemed almost like it was bigger on the inside.

 

It didn’t take long before a certain person, holding a very young  kitten in his arms, approached Souda. “Aha! I thought I had heard someone enter my establishment!” He took a moment to look over Souda before a look of thought crossed his face. “Are my eyes deceiving me, or is the visage before me that of one of my former comrades from the nobel academy of Hope’s Peak? Do not leave me waiting on your response, mortal!”

 

‘ _He certainly has a way with words._ ’ He scratched his head a bit. “Y-yeah… Kazuichi Souda. We were in the same graduating class. I own the auto body repair shop across the street from here. I am surprised you haven’t noticed me before…”  Maybe the word “eccentric” was an understatement in this guy’s case. He did have a certain charm about him.

 

“Ah, yes. We occasionally worked on projects together in the academy. The Four Dark Gods of Destruction sensed your arrival.” He placed the kitten down gently into one of those pens where it can be pet and held by visitors and customers. “What brings you here? Is it to pick out that special companion that you wish to live with you for the rest of their lives? I was in the process of feeding them lunch.” One of his hamsters popped out from his scarf and stood on his shoulder, and he scratched their head.

 

Souda found it kind of cute how he kept those hamsters so close. “Well, not really. I was looking more to talk… to you.” He looked away slightly as to avoid blushing.

 

“Oh? Then what is it that you require of me. Be forewarned; You will regret approaching me needlessly.” Souda didn’t notice the little hamster scurry down his scarf.

 

“Well…” Souda started to moved a bit closer to Gundam as he spoke. “I was… wondering if…” He was so focused on Tanaka that he didn’t notice the hamster push a dog’s water bowl where he was about to step, causing him to start to slip. “Wahhhh?!” He could feel himself slipping and reached out, grabbing the nearest counter. “Gahhh!” He let out a sigh of relief. That relief was cut short as his attempt to pull himself up was thwarted by him losing his grip on the table and falling flat on his face. His face landing in the matching dog food bowl.

 

“Give me a break.” Tanaka used his bandaged left hand and lifted Souda up by the back of his jump suit. “You really should be more careful. Now. Continue your thought, mortal. More humans will be arriving shortly, and I have to clean up this mess.”

 

Souda spit out the dog food in his mouth, and was blushing a bright red. “N-nevermind…! I have to get back to my own s-shop now!” With his resolve shattered, Souda ran back to his work to dry out his shoes, rinse out his mouth, and pick up the bits and pieces of his dignity. A disappointed Tanaka muttered something about foolish mortals as his hamsters nuzzled his cheek.

 

Souda luckily kept an extra pair of shoes in his office… but he couldn’t go back there, not today. He’d made too much of a fool out of himself in front of that man, he would never go out with him now… Souda took a few deep breaths before picking his phone up and dialing the number.

 

“Hey hey hey! Ibuki speaking!” At least she was in a chipper mood, as usual.

 

“Hey, it’s Souda…” He tried to pull himself together.

 

“Hey Kazuichi-chan! How’d the date go?”

 

“Not so well… We broke it off afterwards…”

 

“Oh, that’s a real shame! Ibuki thought you two would be PERFECT for each other!” She seemed genuinely disappointed by this fact.

 

“I’m sorry. Things just didn’t work out that way.” He sighed a bit. “Well, do you have anyone else you know that is… you know… available?”

 

“Oh, Ibuki knows all the best dates, silly! Ibuki will find Kazuichi-kun a date by next weekend, you can count on her!”

 

“.... Thanks Ibuki. You’re the best.”

 

“Ibuki tries~ See you later Kazuichi-chan!” The phone hung up.

 

Souda flopped down in his chair. This whole dating thing was going to be a lot harder than he had first believed. It just then hit him that Gundam had touched him earlier and he blushed again. ' _Goddammit, Tanaka!_ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Tumblr users PaleInc and Alphametics for beta reading my chapters. I'll update a lot sooner this time.


	4. Chapter 3: A Swing and a Miss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souda was starting to feel down about his failed date and about failing at asking Tanaka out. It made him anxious that Ibuki hadn't called him with news of the next date. But the phone did ring, and Ibuki did find a date for him. An old friend? Who could it be...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd update soon, so how does the next day sound~? Good? Good. Enjoy :3

**Chapter 3**

 

It had been about 5 days since Souda had called Ibuki, and the suspense was getting to him. What if she couldn’t find him another date? Did word somehow get around about how embarrassing his first date was and he just seemed undesirable to them now? It’s not like he could try to go back to Tanaka… not after that incident. What would he do if Ibuki never got back to him? He could try to work the room at the karaoke club… but his ability to pick up… pretty much anyone wasn’t that good.

 

His panicked pacing was cut off as he heard his phone ring. He jumped to answer it, not even bothering to check the caller ID. “Hey, Kazuichi Souda speaking.”

 

“Yoooooo! It’s Ibuki. She has some wonderful news!”

 

“Yes?” He didn’t sound anywhere near as excited as he felt. He sat down in case it wasn’t the news he was looking for.

 

“Ibuki found you another date!” She seemed even more ecstatic than the first time.

 

“Oh, great, do I know ‘em?” The anxiety, for the most part, was over.

 

“Oh yeah ya do. Ibuki figured that setting you up with someone that you didn’t know probably didn’t help you on your first date. Ibuki is REALLY sorry about that by the way…”

 

“Relax Ibuki… Who is it, though?” Souda was walking around balancing the phone on his shoulder, trying to lock up the back of the shop.

 

“It’s a surprise. He’s on his way to make the plans with you, so keep your shop open for a few minutes, okay, Kazuichi-kun~? Bye!”

 

Souda was a little confused but he was still as excited as ever. “Alright, thanks Ibuki. I’ll tell you how it goes. Bye!” He pocketed his phone, just in time to hear the buzzer go off at his door.

 

“Yooooooooooo! It’s been a while, buddy!” The voice was so familiar.

 

Souda turned around to see someone he didn’t exactly expect. “L-Leon!” Yes, THE Leon Kuwata was standing in his shop. Souda was friends with the guy, sure, but still, he had barely talked to him since he graduated Hope’s Peak. “Hey~ How’s it goin’, ya weenie!” He high fived the red head and it turned into a strong handshake.

 

“I’m not a weenie. You better watch what you say around your future boyfriend, dude.” He smirked slightly and Souda’s face was that of confusion at first, slowly turning to a blush.

 

“Wait… Ibuki hooked us up?” He still didn’t fully grasp it.

 

“You goin’ deaf or something? Yes, Ibuki set up this date. I had some time to kill so I stopped in to see her at the club. She talked to me so excitedly about your situation and I told her I was lookin’ for someone, so now we’re here.” He gripped Souda’s hand tighter and twirled him a little before Souda  eventually found his back resting on Leon’s outstretched arm. “Would you take me up on a date offer, then~?”

 

Souda’s face was practically bright red already. “Y-yes, of course!” He was trying to calm his own heartbeat.

 

“Good.” He reversed the twirl, and Souda almost fell over as he let go, but thankfully being able to maintain his balance. “Guess the question now is…. what do ya wanna do?”

 

Souda thought for a moment. “Hey, maybe I could go to one of your ball games?”

 

Leon immediately shook his head. “No way, man. As soon as I get my music career stable, I’m gonna quit baseball forever. And it wouldn’t be that much fun, you just sitting in the stands while I play…”

 

Souda looked to the side. “... True… I forgot about your life goals. Guess I’ll be going to your concerts once you’re a famous rock star, though.” He smiled at Leon and got a huge grin back.

 

“Hellz yeah! But what should we do…” He scratched his head.

 

“Anything but a dinner date…” Souda commented, not wanting a repeat of what happened with Ishimaru.

 

“Well…” Leon scratched his chin a little, fingers lightly stroking his goatee. “Hmmmm…. well, how about I drop by your place around 5 tomorrow and we catch a movie, after that, Ibuki’s gonna be performing at the club. Why don’t we try that? Ibuki will probably be wondering how the date goes anyway.”

 

“Yeah… that actually sounds really nice.” He started to think to himself. ‘ _No awkward conversation because he knows me, no chairs to trip over, no cups to spill on the non-existent table, and finishing in an area I’m more familiar with… perfect._ ’ “Yes, it’s perfect.” He grinned, his sharp teeth showing in his pointy grin. “Here’s my address.” He quickly jotted it down on a piece of paper

 

“Great, I’ll pick you up tomorrow then. See ya then, sweetie~” He winked and walked back to the door, although, he stopped short at the door before turning around. “Oh, glad to see you’re still rockin’ the pink mane, dude, it looks really good on you. I can’t imagine you without it!” He  almost left before turning back again. “It’s cute. Bye!” He soon ran out the door, leaving a blushing Souda in a state of embarrassed shock, falling back into his desk chair. How did he ever get this lucky?

With the hope renewed in his heart, the next day flew by. Before he knew it, it was 4 and time to close up shop to prepare for his date.

 

He was just going to the movies with Leon, so he wasn’t worried about dressing up too much. He found some jeans and a blue t-shirt with his usual logo on it in yellow. He figured that it’d be best to wear his hat, in case of emergencies. He also couldn’t help but think that, even with his hair being spiked so wildly, his hat made him feel much tougher. Maybe his choice in bright pink didn’t help that much, but he liked the color, and it appeared that everyone else couldn’t see him without his bright pink hair.

 

It was about 5 minutes after 5 that Souda heard a car horn honk from outside. “Heh, fashionably late, I suppose.” He reached for the door handle, but at that moment, he had a strange thought. ‘ _I should bring a jacket…_ ’ He ran to his room and grabbed a pink jacket and tied it around his waist. ‘ _Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it..._ ’ He sprinted down the stairs to see his date, although, he was a little surprised by what he saw.

 

Leon was there, wearing a tight pair of black jeans, a red jacket with a medium sized collar (quite a bit shorter than his normal one) that was studded around the waist, and a black t-shirt with a white skull print. This wasn’t what surprised Souda though. What surprised him was the red convertible that looked like some sort of sports car. It made sense, since he was an all-star baseball player, that he could have this expensive of a car. The fact that Souda got this close to such a nice car was a bit rare of a chance, even for him. The people who usually buy these cars usually just buy them to have them, so he never has to repair them. “Yoooooooooo! You ready for our date, Souda?”

 

“Hell yeah I am!” He couldn’t get his eyes off the car. “And this is a pretty sweet ride, man! Must’ve cost you a pretty penny.” He looked closely at the car. It looked almost brand new and he was afraid of touching it. “She’s a really beauty. Perfect for you.” He smiled at Leon and got a blush in return.

 

“I knew that you’d be able to appreciate my car. A lot of people would say that spending this much on a car is insane. But, I had some money to burn from all that fuckin’ baseball I played and the games we won.” He opened the door for Souda. “Come on in, we’ve got a great night ahead of us~”

 

With that, Souda got into the car, buckled his seatbelt, and reclined back a little. Damn this car was good. The seats even had built in heating! But as the door closed and Leon got in, he remembered what he was actually there for, Leon. He seemed a little bit more mature looking after the year or two since they had last talked. It was the year that he’d graduated Hope’s Peak and all his friends had come back to see him off. It was the greatest party Souda had ever been to. The reason it had felt that way was because he felt like he belonged there. He was around people who liked him and only picked on him a little in fun. It was Leon and Ibuki who had first came to him once he started classes and had been nervous. Leon was a good man and great boyfriend material, so it was only fair that he’d speak up now, over the punk rock playing on the radio, and renew their friendship. “So, what’ve you been up to lately? How’s the music career hunt going?”

 

Leon sighed. “Not as good as I’d have hoped. I got plenty of vocal and guitar training back at Hope’s Peak, but I have yet to find anyone to rock out with. Rock isn’t something you can just fly solo on, man. You gotta have your band members backing you, you gotta have a ‘team’, I suppose you could say, and they gotta be your friends. You can’t just pick a bunch of random people and just think that they will support you. Ya know what I'm saying?"

 

"Yeah, I get it. Sorry that things aren't workin' out, man. They will though, everyone who comes to Hope's Peak and graduates is destined for success in life. It's just a matter of finding more people who can sing or play instruments. You just need to start asking around. Maybe place ads in magazines and stuff." Souda scratched his head. "You just gotta put yourself out there."

 

"Thanks for the advice man. I have some money still, I could start getting ad space. After all, I'm already known world wide, so who WOULDN'T want to be in my band?" Souda could see a visible smile on Leon's face and couldn't help but smile back. "And what have you been up to, man? How's the mechanic life treating you?"

 

"Pretty good, it's just the usual. I'm happy where I am in life, career wise. I fix up cars and other stuff and hang with Mioda-san and Oowada-san in my free time. Just... been a little lonely lately." He figured he could be completely honest here, Leon was his friend and he knew he cared. "I work alone all day and then go home to an empty apartment. That's why I'm finally starting to date."

 

"Well, I hope you can find what you are looking for in me." He smiled and looked to Souda.

 

"Yeah, I hope you're the one too." He leaned back in his seat. ' _Anything to forget that incident with Tanaka_.'

 

The rest of the car ride was pretty calm and tame. It didn't take much longer to arrive at the theater. They both got out of the car, and as they walked together, Leon held out his hand, allowing Souda to take it. There was so much caring in just that gesture. Souda could definitely tell that this wasn't Leon's first date. He was a huge ladies man at Hope's Peak and Souda knew it.

 

Leon took them to the ticket counter, looking over the titles of the movies. Souda could see plenty of kids movies and action movies and romantic comedies, and any of those would do him just fine, but before he could open his mouth, he heard Leon ask for two tickets to the newest R-rated werewolf monster movie. "W-wait, we are going to see a horror movie?!"

 

Leon tilted his head. "Um... Duh! This thing's gotten rave reviews and isn't some pansy-ass romantic film that destroys the monster's character! It's gonna be awesome!" He smirked at Souda. "What's the matter? You're not scared, are ya, tough guy?"

 

As much as he didn't want to see this movie, his pride got the best of him. "Hell no! Let's watch this thing!"

 

"Great! Let's get some snacks then!" Leon excitedly lead the way to the concession counter as Souda realized what he'd just agreed to. He agreed to watch an extremely scary monster movie known for gore. He'd have to try his hardest to keep his tough facade up. He'd thought Leon would know that he scared easily...

 

Leon treated Souda to the largest cola they had and a huge bucket of popcorn for them to share. The cola did make up for the movie choice a little bit: he really did love that cola.

 

They quickly found their seats in the middle of the room and sat down, Souda bracing himself. Souda figured that he could make it through the movie okay. It’s all pretend, so hey, should be okay, right?

 

Souda was able to stand a good portion of the movie just fine, flinching every so often, gulping down popcorn like a vacuum, but surprisingly not reaching the bottom of his cola cup. It all went well until a chase scene happened with a werewolf chasing a teenage girl, and he started shaking as he watched it.

 

He hoped, for the life of him, that that girl would get away, that she wouldn’t get killed, that she would be able to live through the movie. The girl had closed the door behind her and was hiding in the corner, when the door rattled and cracked. ‘ _No… don’t…._ ’ He gripped tightly at the armrests of the chair as the door was torn open and the snarling beast burst into the room. ‘ _Please no…!_ ’ The monster lunged at her and gutted her with its claws. Leon enjoyed this immensely until he noticed that Souda had literally jumped out of his chair and was clinging to him, arms wrapped around his neck and hands grabbing at his hair in pure fear.

 

This wouldn’t have bothered Leon that much, until it lasted for the rest of the movie, then it bothered him a bit. Souda spent the entire time whimpering and holding onto him as they left the theater. Maybe this date wasn’t going to work out as well as he’d hoped...

 

With a little effort, Leon managed to pry Souda from his person. “Dude…. you said you were cool with the movie. You could have told me if you really were that against scary movies. I was just teasin’ you.” Leon sighed and opened the door to the car for him.

 

“I’m sorry… I thought I could handle it, I really did!” He sat in the car and sighed a little, not sure if he was more upset that he may have annoyed Leon, or that he couldn’t keep up his tough facade for just one movie… worst of all, he wasn't sure if he’d be able to sleep; the werewolves would get him and tear him limb from limb, he just KNEW it…

 

It was a rather awkward drive to the club. No one really talked: Souda was still trying to recover from the movie, and Leon was focusing on driving. Souda was ready to take the blame for the date flopping, but maybe seeing Ibuki perform would cheer him up.

 

They pulled into the karaoke club’s parking lot and got out of the car. Leon felt really guilty about giving him the silent treatment, so he took a moment to hold Souda’s hand again. It put a huge dorky smile and blush on both of their faces and they walked into the club feeling much better.

 

Ibuki was set to perform in a few minutes and that meant that they’d have to find their seats fast. They got a pretty close table and Souda got more cola for himself.

 

Souda would admit that he didn’t really care for death metal himself, but Ibuki was his friend and he was okay with whatever she wanted to do, no matter the musical style, He actually enjoyed her death metal.

 

There was a loud mic check that assaulted the ears of everyone in the club with a high pitched squeaking noise. “HEEEEEEEEEEY! Ibuki is SO glad that all of you could make it to her performance! I hope you are all ready to ROOOOOOOOOCK!” The crowd cheered and she began her performance.

 

As this was going on, Souda genuinely was enjoying it, but noticed that Leon seemed… off. Considering how much he had been lost in thought lately, Souda could tell that something was on Leon’s mind, and it wasn’t necessarily going to be a good thing.

 

The performance wrapped up to a round of applause as Ibuki bowed and walked off the stage and down into the lounge area and gave Souda and Leon a huge hug. “HEYYYYYYY! Ibuki is SOOOO glad that you two could find time during your date to see her performance!”

 

Leon smiled. “And we’re glad to be here. What’s up, Ibuki? You were so focused on getting this show ready yesterday and getting me to Souda before he closed shop that you never explained what your big news was that you’d mentioned.”

 

“Oh, that’s right. Ibuki apologizes for that… Either way. Sayaka-chan! Can you come down here!”

 

Souda had to check his ears. Sayaka? Sayaka as in SHSL Idol Sayaka Maizono? Was she serious? He looked around only to see that it was indeed the famous pop idol herself walking over to them. Souda noticed Leon lock eyes with her and was already having some flashbacks from Sunday. “Hey guys! It’s been a while!” She was rather chipper.

 

“Ibuki got back in touch with Sayaka-chan and decided that they would create a music group together. Ibuki is still having a difficult time trying to find a good balance between pop and death metal, but it’s coming along well. Ibuki is looking for more people to join the group, however.”

 

It was with that line that Souda and Leon exchanged looks with each other. They’d discussed it earlier. Leon was looking for something like this, and Souda knew it. This would be best for him and also for Souda. Souda realized that no matter how Leon’s life went, either as a rockstar or a baseball star, Leon would be away from home an awful lot, and this whole dating thing was for companionship. Souda was lonely and needed someone who he could come home to every day. He’d have to say it. “Leon… you should do it, you should join them and see what happens. You said it yourself; you need FRIENDS to play with.”

 

“Ibuki is confused… What are you talking about, Kazuichi-chan?” She tilted her head.

 

Leon opened his mouth. “Ibuki, Souda’s saying that I should join you guys. As much fun as it is hanging out with Souda, he and I are best friends and I think it should stay that way. He’s looking out for my life dream.” He turned to Souda. Thanks man… I honestly probably wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for you… I’m sorry I have to cut our night short but, face it, we aren’t right for each other.” He looked away. “I did have a great time with you tonight, though. I wish you luck.” And with that, he kissed Souda’s forehead. “Thanks man, for everything.” He walked away with the two girls, and Souda could see him reaching for Maizono’s hand as they walked.

 

Sodua stood there, blushing bright red for a second before shaking his head and looking away. Why did all these nice people who didn’t like him romantically have to kiss him and make him feel so good? It didn’t matter now, though. He was single and didn’t have a ride. He pulled his jacket on and walked out of the club. It was going to be a long walk home.

 

He looked at the ground, kicking loose bits of pavement as he walked. It was his second failed date in a row. He knew that life partners wouldn’t just hit him in the face, but this was his second date that literally lasted one night.

 

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice a certain animal breeder running towards him trying to keep up with a small orange dog until they collided.

 

“Watch where you’re goin’ why don’t cha?!” shouted Souda until he noticed who it was. “T-tanaka-san?”

 

“Y-yes? Oh… if it isn’t the man who come into my shop last weekend… Souda, was it? I am terribly sorry. This dog has large amounts of energy for such a small creature. I am almost certain that he is trying to break the leash whenever I take him for a walk. He will learn better obedience when he ages into a full grown canine. I have gone at least three whole blocks out of my way trying to keep up with him, so it’s about time to walk back.”

 

Souda got a light bulb at this point. “Hey, my house is in that direction, wanna talk on the way back? It’s late and I could use someone to talk to.”

 

Gundam, surprised that someone wanted to talk to him, pulled his scarf up a little. “I suppose that that would be alright, I could use someone to help me control this canine anyway, so I suppose I could accept your company.”

 

Souda was rather excited at this, he finally had a chance to talk to him, and to at least become friends with him.

 

The walk back to his shop took about 30 minutes, but it was the best 30 minutes of the entire night. They didn’t talk about anything too personal, it was more or less just Souda trying to get to understand the strange man that he’d alienated all during high school. When it finally ended, Souda had to jump to the chance. “You know… you’re actually a pretty nice guy, for a future world ruler, that is. Suppose, I come by your shop sometimes and we talk more. You know… like… a friendship?

 

Gundam covered his face with his scarf immediately. “That would… be alright, I suppose. You are much more… tolerable than most mortals. Just be wary, I am a busy man. Approaching me at the wrong time could lead to _dire consequences_.” He pulled his scarf back down. “Goodnight, mortal.” He walked into his shop with the dog. Souda turned away from the shop, practically skipping home. Perhaps things were going better for him, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you Tumblr user PaleInc for beta reading my chapters, it really helps!
> 
> And, thank you readers for your feedback and support, I really appreciate it. After all, I write so people will read and want people to be entertained by my work... so it really makes me happy to see you guys like it. Again I apologize for the break between chapters 1/2 (2 and 3 according to the counter on here since it counts the prologue), and I may post the next chapter really soon, so look out for that ;)


	5. Chapter 4: And Love Said 'No'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his conversation last night with Tanaka, Souda is very happy. He'd forgotten almost completely about the events of last night's date and wants to try to ask Tanaka out again. But will he be so lucky?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Chapter contains some blood and also spoilers for DR1 Togami, and Souda's freetime events. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

**Chapter 4**

 

Souda sat at this desk, mulling over the events of the last 24 hours, staring at the pet shop across the street. His conversation with Gundam really had a positive effect on him. He thought that he would spend all last night moping over how his date didn’t work out, but he’d actually been able to go home feeling satisfied with himself for getting out of the house and trying to get a date. He’d completely forgot about that movie he watched last night. He couldn’t wait until he could get off for lunch break. He was so full of motivation now that, maybe he’d try to ask Tanaka out today, just to see if he was interested. It might mess with their newly formed friendship, but he had it in him today. Today he would-

 

“Excuse me. Am I talking to myself here? I understand that you may have difficulty understanding all the words I use, but please at least look like you are paying attention.” Oh, right, he was supposed to be helping a big customer. Byakuya Togami was standing before him and was trying to check in some of his cars that needed various kinds of tune-ups to make sure they were fully functioning and in perfect operating condition. He doubted that he actually drove them. He probably just had a freaking limousine to drive him everywhere. “Well, are you gonna respond to me, or is your mind really that empty?”

 

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry. You checked in 5 cars to get them tuned up and properly maintained, right?” He looked up at Togami and tried to keep eye contact, but that gaze was choking him. These damn rich people always had this horrible air about them that made Souda shiver whenever he made direct eye contact. They always made him feel… so worthless as a human being, but who were they to talk down to him?

 

Togami looked away. “Yes. I want them done as soon as possible. You held the title of Super High School Level Mechanic, so it shouldn’t be that much of a problem to get them fixed properly without causing any collateral damage. If I see so much as a scratch on even one of my vehicles…”

 

Souda cut him off. “Your cars are in excellent hands. I am very careful with my work and I know that it would be disgraceful for the cars that belong to such a prestigious man as the head of the Togami Conglomerate to be damaged in any way. But do understand that I have other orders to fill as well, so it will take time to make sure all your cars receive the proper treatment.”

 

“... Whatever, just get them done…” He looked back and noticed Souda starting to zone out again. “Hey! Do you have any respect? My name is Byakuya Togami! Pay attention!” Souda shook his head and apologized, only to get a sigh out of Togami. “Would you care if I inquired as to why you are so much more of an airhead than usual? You never acted this way before and I’ve brought my cars here twice each year for maintenance.”

 

Souda tried to make eye contact with him. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you…” ‘ _Or at least wouldn’t hurt more than talking to you normally does..._ ’ he thought to himself. “Just… love life problems. Finding that mister or miss right ain’t supposed to be easy, I know that, but… I’ve had two flop dates and it’s starting to get me down…” He scratched his head.

 

Togami adjusted his glasses. “Well… I suppose we are actually in a similar emotional situation.” This caught Souda’s absolute attention. “The head of the Togami Conglomerate doesn’t exactly pick a single wife, they go out and have children with some of the most influential men or women in the entire world. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue…. if I weren’t interested in men and looking for a life partner, instead of 15-20 girls to have children with.” He looked at the wall.

 

Souda figured that now would be the best time to try to open his mouth. Considering how his luck had been, it’d be worth it to try to keep his options open… and maybe trying to date someone Ibuki didn’t suggest would work out better in the long run. “Hey, you think maybe we could…” He was cut off.

 

“Are you suggesting that you and I… go out on a date?” The tone he had when he gave that question stabbed Souda right in the heart. He felt kind of stupid for trying to ask out Togami. He knew Togami thought that he was better than everything else. No, Togami went around _knowing_ he was better than everyone else. That was the kind of attitude he had.

 

The next words he heard out of his mouth were less than expected. “Well, I suppose that since you, too, are a fellow Hope’s Peak graduate so you can’t be _that_ horrible of a person to date. How about this? I’ll tell you if I want to when you call to give me the estimate for when the cars will be ready. Do NOT call me before you know how long you are going to take with my cars. Now get to work.” He turned and walked to the front door of the shop, stopping to turn around for a second. “Goodbye.” He left, leaving Souda very confused.

 

He actually didn’t know why he suggested to Togami that they date. Togami’s words always would hit him where it hurt the most and he could actually feel his self-esteem drop with every sentence he spoke. Souda may not have had the best upbringing, but at least he had more respect for people than Togami did…

 

Souda looked to the clock, it was getting close to noon. Since Souda was his own boss, he could take his lunch whenever he wanted. He looked across the street and saw that the pet shop was pretty much empty. It looked like it was just Tanaka and his animals in the building. This could be it.

 

Souda once again checked himself in the mirror, made sure all the locks in the store were secure, and walked across that street. He was determined not to trip and fall like last time. He was going to have one day where he didn’t embarrass himself in front of someone he liked. He would finally tell Gundam how he felt, and no one would stop him.

 

The door to the pet shop opened swiftly and the meowing buzzer announced his entry again. He was greeted by that familiar smell of the animals and then shortly after by Tanaka walking over with an adorable bouncing baby bunny in his arms that he quickly set down on the floor. “Welcome, comrade! It is commendable that you actually keep your word. Many people would make plans to meet with me at a later time and then never show up. You are proving your trust very well, mortal.” He turned away. “You have caught me at a good time; It is lunch for me and as such, I am on my break and free to converse.”

 

Souda had to contain his excitement. Gundam seemed in good spirits and glad to see him, and he also was on break, alone. This would be his shot: it was his turn up to bat, and it seemed like it would be an easy home run. “Yeah, hey man. I did have a few things that I wanted to talk about, so let’s sit down a moment and eat, I brought a sandwich for myself.”

 

“Superb! You can join us for lunch then!” Gundam walked toward at table at the back of the shop.

 

“W-wait, did you say us?” Souda moved quickly, but carefully, to the table. He was greatly confused by this statement. “You mean the Four Dark Gods of Destruction, right?”

 

Gundam laughed slightly. “Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you, or rather you forgot to inquire such.” What the hell was he even talking about? This confused Souda even more. “Oh, I should call her.” He got up from his stool and opened the door to his private office in the back of the store. “My princess, it is time we have our lunchtime feast! We have a guest!”

 

“P-princess?” ‘ _He… he couldn’t mean…?_ ’ Souda didn’t even have a chance to finish that thought before a terribly familiar face greeted his sight from behind the door of Tanaka’s office.

 

Much to Souda’s surprise, he was greeted by the graduate Super High School Level Princess from his class at Hope’s Peak. It was her. His old high school crush. Sonia Nevermind. “Oh, is it lunchtime already, Tanaka-kun?” She looked around a little. “Oh, and who is your friend?”

 

“M-miss Sonia?” Souda was in a state of shock. Why was she here? Why was she visiting Tanaka. Shouldn’t she be in Novoselic, leading the country or something?

 

“First off, this is Kazuichi Souda, my friend and a former classmate of ours.”

 

“Oh, really? I don’t quite remember anyone with that name.” Well, that was reassuring of Souda’s memories of Hope’s Peak. She really didn’t notice him at all, did she? “It’s nice to meet you, though.” She gave him a sincere smile that almost made him blush. If he hadn’t thrown all his dreams of dating her away about 2 years ago, he would have. This still didn’t explain why she was here, though.

 

It was then that Gundam opened his mouth again. “Souda, Sonia is my girlfriend….” He pulled his scarf over his nose, trying to hide the blush on his face. “She’s in town visiting me and all her old Hope’s Peak friends.

 

Sonia smiled that perfect smile of hers. “We’ve been going out for about a month now. It’s been hella exciting~!” She turned and gave Gundam a hug. Souda could see him turning bright red from embarrassment and joy.

 

In this moment, Souda just blue screened. His resolve had shattered. He would be a huge ass if he tried to ask Gundam out right now. He’d been… dating for… a month now? So even if Souda had asked him out last week it would have been pointless? And of course it was Sonia. It set the bar too high for him to ever be able to compete… What would he do? What _could_ he do?

 

“Comrade?” Oh, he’d forgotten that he was standing in the middle of Gundam’s pet shop and they were still there, staring at him. “Would you like to join us for lunch?”

 

Souda knew what he had to do. His eyes were starting to water and his jealousy was starting to rise again. He couldn’t bite his lower lip. He’d bite the freaking thing right off. He just had to get out. Fast. “S-sorry, I… just remembered. I got a big job back at the shop that I need to start working on. I can’t stay and chat.”

 

“Oh…” Gundam looked away. “I hope we can catch up at some other time then.”

 

“Yeah… Goodbye Tanaka-san. Goodbye Miss Sonia.” He took normal paced steps out of the shop, looked both ways, and then just made a mad dash for his own shop, sniffling slightly. The sky was becoming a bit overcast.

 

The door to his own shop closed as he paced around the office room of the store. Why did this have to happen… His current crush and his past crush were in a relationship. The past few weeks he’d been contemplating asking out Tanaka only to find this out. His mind was racing as to how it’d happened. He did remember them being a bit on the friendly side back at school. He remembered why he’d never really talked to Tanaka before; it was because Sonia seemed to talk to Tanaka quite a bit but she never noticed him. It took about a year to realize that he wouldn’t ever really be able to have Sonia and that was when he focused more on making friends.

 

He sat down. Souda was ready for the possibility of rejection but wasn’t prepared for this possibility. He knew he had a zero percent chance of even trying to ask him out. He’d known that Tanaka had dated Ishimaru for a short amount of time before he’d dated Sonia, so his inclinations Souda only could guess. He tried to regulate his breathing. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. Souda had pretty much just met him and didn’t know much about him other than his interests in animals, the dark arts, and possible future world domination. He’d have to face it; he probably wasn’t anything close to what Gundam wanted. He had a princess. Souda was the farthest thing from a princess there was.

 

As he wiped a few stray tears from his eyes, he noticed the mirror on his wall that he used to see if he had any stray bits of oil on his person or if his jumpsuit was excessively dirty. He’d used it earlier before leaving to see Tanaka. He could see himself. He was nothing special. His shark teeth usually scared away any potential mates since it kind of scared them that he would actually try to kiss him with that mouth and they didn’t exactly wanna bleed kissing him, and he wasn’t as tough as the others, or as strong as them, or as smart, or even as tall as them. He’d never be like the others.

 

He looked back at his reflection and could only see his middle school self. His “dorky” short black hair and glasses. That black uniform he never wanted to see again. The him that he tried so hard to change. The him who was picked on and bullied and who no one really seemed to like. The reflection’s pink eyes stared back into his, sniffling, on the verge of tears. Maybe, no matter how hard he tried, he’d never be able to escape who he was in the past, and no one would ever truly love him… Souda could feel the liquid beginning to escape from his tear ducts. “N-no…” He muttered under his breath. “N-no… don’t… Don’t fuckin’ cry again…” The tears started to flow. “Don’t be a baby… s… STOP CRYING ALREADY!”

 

He squeezed his eyes shut and the next thing he knew, he’d heard the sound of glass shattering and a pain in his right hand.

 

Souda opened his and noticed the mirror was broken. His gaze shifted down to his hand. He’d punched the mirror. There were shards of glass stuck in his hand and it was bleeding. He fell to his knees. “AHHHHHHHH!” He couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. He just kneeled there, clutching his hand sobbing. ‘ _Why am I so weak..._ ’ he thoughts to himself, forcing himself up, tears still flowing. He pulled some of the larger bits of glass out from his hand and grabbed a clean rag to wrap around his hand. He’d left his phone at home. The cuts were deep; he needed help.

 

He turned off the lights and put up the “Sorry, we’re closed.” sign before running home in the rain. The only advantage of the rain was that it helped mask his tears, although he couldn’t hold back some of the choking sobs.

 

He fumbled with his keys and got the apartment door open, slamming it behind him and collapsing on the bed, hugging his pillow and letting himself cry. He didn’t want to call or text anyone if he was going to be a gross sobbing mess…

 

After fifteen minutes or so, he pulled out his phone and went through the contacts. “M-... Mikan can help…” He quickly typed up a text reading. “I don’t mean to bother you, but I need a little medical help. There was a… bit of an accident. Can you come to my apartment?”

 

It took less than 30 seconds to get a text saying she was on her way.

 

She knocked on the door and he he let her in. “Hey…” He said, trying to force a small smile, waving with his makeshift bandage covered hand.

 

“W-what happened?!” She was legitimately concerned. “I-if you don’t mind me asking… that is… Let me help you first!”

 

Souda sat on the couch as Mikan unwrapped the bloody rag from his hand and started to use tweezers from her personal medical kit to pick out the small pieces of glass. Souda flinched and his eyes watered as she did so. She was gentle though, and he was thankful for that.

 

As she started to disinfect the cut, which did sting a bit, she looked up at his face. “These are pretty bad cuts. You are going to need stitches.” She reached into her kit and pulled out a curved needle and some clear thread. “Now… if you are okay with telling me…. how did this happen?”

 

Souda looked over at her and she flinched a little. “Calm down… Well, I… got kinda upset and… I kinda punched a mirror.”

 

“Souda-kun! You should really be more careful! What could have gotten you that upset!” She flinched again. “W-well if you… don’t mind telling me…” Still as jumpy and nervous as ever.

 

“Just… life problems…” He sighed, cringing as he felt her start stitching up his hand. “I have to ask…. did you know Gundam was dating?”

 

She looked away. “Y-yes… A bunch of the girls got together a few days ago and Sonia was talking about it. Your name was brought up too… but Sonia didn’t even notice… then Saionji made some mean joke about you… I tried to stick up for you but she got upset with me so I stopped… I-I’m so sorry!”

 

“No, no! Calm down…. I’m just glad you tried…” Souda gave a caring smile that was cut off when he flinched from the stitches. He was glad when she was done giving them. “So, what else has been going on?”

 

“W-well… I found out about you trying to date recently… so I wish you good luck with that! Also… I heard that Ishimaru-kun and Oowada-kun had gotten together.”

 

“Oh, that’s quite nice to hear, actually…” Souda thought for a moment and remembered something. “Hey, did Ishimaru ever catch the guy he shot in the foot that got away?”

 

“Oh, yeah… that… Turns out that it was one of Oowada-kun’s gang members. He turned the guy over to the police the moment they found out and made it clear that he didn’t want them messing with Ishimaru-kun ever again.”

 

“Oh, that’s great!” A silence fell in the room as she wrapped his hand in bandages to protect the stitches.

 

“Now, it’ll be about a week before I can remove these. Please be careful. Alright, Souda-kun?” She stood up to leave.

 

“Yeah, I’ll take care…” He watched her starting to leave. “H-hey! One more thing.” He looked away. “Have you been looking into dating recently too? Everyone else seems to be doin’ it.”

 

She giggled slightly. “N-no… I’m just looking out for my nursing job right now. I don’t think I’m ready for something like that yet…”

 

“Alright, take care Mikan.” He smiled and waved with his good hand and she waved back.

 

Souda went back to his room, flopping down on the bed with his phone. His work would suffer from this injury, but it reminded him of something. He lifted up his phone and looked at his contacts. “You know what… Fuck Gundam… I don’t need him…” He scrolled down to Togami’s name on the list and pushed the call button.

 

“Byakuya Togami speaking.”

 

“Hey, it’s Kazuichi Souda. I was calling to tell you that I estimate your cars will be done by Sunday at the latest. I kinda hurt my hand, so it’ll take a little bit longer.”

 

“.... Whatever, just get them don-” Togami was cut off by Souda speaking.

 

“A-also… did you consider the possibility of that date?”

 

Togami was honestly surprised that he still wanted to. “Well… Hmmm, I suppose I’m not busy next Saturday night… no one has asked me to do anything yet though.”

 

Souda could tell that was his way to say that he had to ask. “Byakuya Togami… will you go out with me on Saturday?”

 

There was a short silence. “Be ready at 6, not a moment later, and wear something nice. Goodbye.” The phone hung up.

 

Souda just lay his head back. He could do so much better than Gundam just like Gundam could do so much better than him, and he was gonna prove him that.

 


	6. Personal Standards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souda, injured hand and all, continued working through the next week. He had to do anything to keep his mind off of a certain person in the pet shop across the street. His date with Togami was coming up on Saturday. But did Togami even really like him? For that matter, did Souda like him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me long enough to get this out, so I hope that this update is liked. Togami speaks a line in french in here, so bonus points if you can get what it says (although it's easy to just google translate it probably). It may just give you a hint as to whether Togami actually likes Souda or not. Sorry the update was a day late too, just got kinda sick this week. Hope you have a great time!

**Chapter 5**

 

Souda was excited for his date Saturday, but not nearly as excited as he’d usually be for one. Had he known about his other dates in advance, he would have been excitedly texting them about his prepartions. He couldn't do this with Togami. Togami didn't have time for his nonsense. He only had time for information about his cars and questions about proper attire. Souda was disappointed in the fact that he would need to buy new clothes just to fit in at the restaurant Togami would take him to. He was already feeling like he wasn't good enough to be with him, but he drowned out those thoughts with the fact that even if he had to to get better clothes, he was good enough by being able to afford such things.

 

His work was suffering a bit from the stitches. If he wasn't careful, it'd hurt, and they could catch on protruding meta, tearing them open. The thought sent shivers down his spine.

 

He knew how to compensate, though. Instead of spending a lot of time at the front desk, he would work in the back of the shop and only leave if he had business to deal with. This way, not only was he focused on work, he would also not be tempted to gaze at the pet shop. He didn't know when Sonia would leave. He felt the highest level of sickness thinking about them and would avoid it at all cost.

 

On Thursday, after asking what would be appropriate for this dinner date, he went out to buy himself some new clothes. He was actually pretty well off financially. Souda was the kind of person that didn’t really like throwing his money around on pointless expensive crap just because he could afford it. He didn’t see a reason to buy a house because he was alone and his apartment had all the comforts of home. He used a bike instead of driving a car, even if he loved cars more than almost anything, because his motion sickness greatly limited how fast he could go. It would pain him to see a perfectly good car just sitting there, unused. How would he even drive it home from the car dealership? He was lucky he managed to get his licence so he could do the small amount of driving related to his work, but he’d never be able to drive his dream car.

 

After about half a week of struggling through his work, he finally found the time to go get himself a suit. The sales person at the suit shop didn’t seem to take much of a liking to him at first. He probably shouldn’t have come there wearing his jumpsuit, but it would have taken up too much time to walk home, change, and come back. He’d been working late to try to stay consistent with his work. Eventually he managed to get across that he was a graduate of Hope’s Peak and wasn’t some random punk.

 

After trying on different styles and colors, he settled on a standard coat in burgundy. He knew going for something in a neon color wouldn’t fit the setting that he’d be eating in. He knew he had to show his best for Togami. The blond didn’t seem to show that much interest in him or the date, so it would be a matter of leaving a good impression.

 

He got his measurements taken, picked up a pair of matching shoes, and got the ticket to pick up the rather expensive suit on Saturday. It was around 9 or so when he finally got out of the store and walked back to his shop. As he unlocked the door to grab his bike, he glanced across the street at that familiar purple pet shop. It was still open. He could see Tanaka inside, handing a puppy to a small boy. His face wore a small, satisfied, smile. “Heh… must be giving that boy his first pet or somethin’...” Souda felt a grin begin to form on his face that was quickly washed away as he shook his head. He would just get upset if he kept thinking about Gundam this way. He had to think about the future.

 

He grabbed his bike from inside and just rushed back to his apartment, picking up some carry-out on the way, and walking back into the empty room. Maybe he would get a pet for himself? No, he’s just making excuses to go to the pet shop at this point. He needed sleep, he needed to get his mind off of Tanaka. He glanced at the bandages on his hand as he ate his burger. ‘ _Yeah…. Just need sleep… after all, only 2 more days until the big date._ ’ He slurped down the rest of his cola and chucked the cup in the trash. He flopped down on the bed and sighed. “Yeah…. Saturday will be here soon enough, I’ll be fine…”

 

The last day of the week went by as slowly as possible. Luckily, there was a lull in the amount of cars that came in, so he was able to relax a little. The day ended quickly and Souda actually managed to go to bed excited for the following night.

 

He spent most of the day in the back of his shop, working on tuning up Togami’s five or so luxury cars. It was then that he finally felt comfortable texting his date for the night to ask about further details. “Hey, fixin yer cars rn, wat time should I b drssd by 4 pick-up?” After about of the most anxious 30 minutes of Souda’s life, Togami responded.

 

“6pm, don’t be late.”

 

Souda usually closed up shop at about 4 on Saturdays, so that was perfect. He closed up shop, and headed to the suit store, picked up his suit and shoes, and ran home as fast as he could, nearly tripping up the stairs on the way.

 

He wasn’t the most experienced person when it came to wearing a suit. His search history’s latest entry was “how do you tie a tie” and he didn’t like how tight fitting the suit was. “Well, ‘least my hips are shown well in this thing…” he thought as he looked at himself in the mirror. Something still wasn’t right, though. He frowned a little, and pulled his hat off, releasing his wild mane from its knitted prison. “Hats ain’t very formal….” He sighed at his hair. It was too unruly and poofed out a bit too much. “Okay, this has to go, too.” He grabbed a comb and some hair spray, pulling his braid loose and managing to get it to smooth out a little. It still popped out like cockatiel feathers, but not nearly as much.

 

As he looked at himself, he still didn’t feel right. “Something is still missing…” He noticed the glasses case sitting on the sink. “Oh, it’s you…” With a deep breath, he reached up and removed his contacts, his pink hues still showed through, but he couldn’t see. He placed them in his contact case with their solution, before flipping open the glasses case and putting some black framed lenses on his face. “Never thought I’d use you again.” Looking back at himself in the mirror, he adjusted his glasses and admired himself. “Hey… that ain’t half bad if I do say so myself!” His confidence was actually restored. If there was one thing Souda knew, it was that this was one of the few cases that he wouldn’t be looked down upon for wearing glasses. Togami wore glasses, so it’s not like he couldn’t!

 

As Souda sat on his couch, pulling on his new brown loafers, he heard a loud beep. He looked up at the clock. “Shit! It’s already 6!” He quickly dashed downstairs and was met with the sight of Togami, standing there, with another man holding open the door to a limousine.

 

“Took you long enough. I told you to be ready at 6 sharp, meaning down here, waiting.” Togami adjusted his glasses gracefully with on finger. “I will have to give you points for the suit, however. It’s… adequate.”

 

Souda had to resist a slight urge to punch him, but then he remembered that this was his date, so he would just grin and bare it. At least he liked the clothes. “Well, I had to make sure everything was perfect, ya know? This ain’t no normal date.” He chuckled slightly, but didn’t receive much reaction from his date.

 

“Get in, we have reservations. Honestly, you asked me out on the date, so I should expect you to do all of this, but your name doesn’t hold as much weight as mine. I doubt you could manage to pull off a date quite like this.” Togami stood out of the way.

 

Souda climbed in, pretty much in awe. He hadn’t been in a limousine before. Due to his motion sickness, he had to do most of his traveling by boat and feet. Airplane and car travel would end in a disgusting mess all over everything and him probably passed out by the end. “Woah… sweet ride.”

 

Togami got in next to him. “What did you expect? The Togami family has numerous private transportation services all around the globe. This one is my personal limousine which I ride nearly everywhere.” The driver started to drive them to their eating location.

 

“So… do ya even drive those cars that I’m workin’ on?” Souda was concerned about those cars. Cars are meant to be driven, not to just sit around.

 

“Why would I? I’m a collector. I just bring them in to make sure they have not maintained any damage sitting around in my mansion’s garage. There is no value to something if it doesn’t work or has to be restored.”

 

“What a waste…” Souda muttered next to inaudibly.

 

“What was that?” Togami questioned.

 

“N-nothing!” He avoided looking out the window, afraid that he might vomit his lunch all over Togami’s precious private limo. “Ya know, I actually didn’t expect you to take me up on my offer. After all, why would someone like you give someone like me the time of day...”

 

Togami avoided making eye contact. “Well, considering the work you’ve done for me for the past few years, I suppose that, other than paying you, it was the least I could do.” These words were almost touching. Almost.  “You DID seem pretty out of it, and it would only benefit me to help you.”

 

Souda let out a nervous chuckle. It was obvious Togami was trying to not break his snobbish image. “Well, I’m just glad that we’re going out today. Thanks, Byakuya.”

 

It was with that little slip of his first name that Togami had to hide a blush. “You really shouldn’t call me that….”

 

Souda felt a bit accomplished with that. This wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be.

 

“Oh, and why are you wearing those?” questioned Togami, staring at Souda’s glasses.

 

Souda looked at him. “Oh, these?” He touched his glasses. “Well… I actually do need these, I just normally wear contacts.”

 

“Oh, alright…” Togami wasn’t one for small talk as far as Souda could see. “Why are you wearing those bandages?”

 

“I coulda sworn I told ya that I injured my hand Sunday afternoon and that’s why your cars are taking longer than expected. “ Togami didn’t respond.

 

The silence in the car only halted when they arrived at their destination. “Woah…” Said Souda as the car slowed. He was finally able to admire the restaurant that they stopped at. Much like his first date, it was a nice eatery. Actually, that was an understatement. This was one of the most famous restaurants in the area. The moment the door opened, he stepped out and admired the view of the strong neon lights of the sign above the emblazoned awning. “Sweet….”

 

“Oh, impressed, are we?” Togami stood besides him. “I would not even begin to wonder why. After all, I am Byakuya Togami. The name carries a great weight of respect. It probably would have taken you at least a month to get in here.”

 

Souda was quickly getting annoyed with Togami’s constant flaunting of his position and approached the door, holding it open for his date. “Let’s go, I suppose the reservation is in yer name so you should go in first. After you.”

 

Togami nodded at Souda before passing him, only stopping for a split second to give a last moment “thank you” to the pink haired mechanic, and then continue inside.

 

As the stood at the podium near, the host was flipping through the book. “Name?” Unlike Souda’s first date, this guy didn’t seem like he was in the mood to mess around or greet them happily. His posture was stern and proper.

 

“2 for Togami.”

 

The host looked up. “Ah, Mr. Togami, we are pleased to serve you again.” He took one look at Souda and just made a disgusted turn away from him. If Souda had to guess, it was probably his rather brightly colored hair that made him stick out like a sore thumb. What was he expected to do, dye his hair for a single date? “This way.” He lead the way through the room to a nice table relatively close to the live entertainment in the back room of the establishment. “Here you are, sirs. The waiter will be with you shortly.” After placing the menus at the table, he walked away.

 

Souda did the gentlemanly thing and pulled out Togami’s chair for him as he sat, and then took his own seat. The cushioning on the chairs was luxuriously comfortable. He let out a deep breath, adjusted his glasses, and opened the menu. It wasn’t until now that he noticed something a little problematic. “Uh oh….”

 

“What do you mean, ‘uh oh’?” Togami lowered his menu a bit to see what had happened.

 

“Togami-ku-”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Togami… I don’t think I can read this menu.” Souda had the most confused look on his face. “What kinda language is this, even?”

 

Closing his menu, Togami sighed and rubbed his temples. “It’s French. We are in a French restaurant. Didn’t you read the sign on the way in here?”

 

“Well, how could I if I don’t speak French to begin with?” Souda thought that it would have been plainly obvious that he only knew his native language and not much else.

 

“... Fine. What do you like to eat then? That way I don’t have to translate the entire menu for you.” Togami’s tone was starting to shift into his usual “I’m better than you” sort of voice that souda would have to put up with every time he dropped off his car.

 

“Well… I like fishes and meats and if potatoes are an option for the si-”

 

“Alright, I found something you’ll like, just… I’ll do the speaking. I’m fluent in french.” The smug grin returned to Togami’s face.

 

“Oh yeah? Prove it!” Souda was ready to call Togami out for being a smug asshole.

 

“Je désire vous manger ce soir.” Recited Togami. “See, I told you.”

 

Souda scratched his head. “I have no idea what ya just said, but it sounds like actual words so I’m gonna take your word for it. Also, I drink Cola. Don’t forget that!”

 

“Oh, right, you aren’t of drinking age yet.” Togami closed his menu and waited. “Honestly,  I wonder what they have been teaching you in school if you have yet to have mastered a foreign language.”

 

“Well, I guess this will give you an answer. What are the different colors of liquids that need to be changed regularly in a car?” Togami looked a little puzzled. “Alright, how about this one. If the brake pedal is close to the floor of a car, how do you raise it back up?” Again, no response from his date. “See, you learned what you needed to in order to head your freakin’ Togami conglomerate. I went ta Hope’s Peak in order to learn how to be the best damn mechanic I could be. And I achieved that goal.”

 

“R-right.” Togami seemed almost panicked. Souda could tell he knew some things that Togami had no idea about, and those were basic car maintenance.

 

After that little conversation, everything went silent again. It was was extremely awkward. It was even more so awkward when Souda heard Togami speaking french with the waiter, and having to order for him. The silence didn’t break at all after that, not until the food and drink was delivered to their table. “Merci.” Souda could tell that Togami had thanked the waiter, that much was obvious.

 

Souda, however, was a lot more interested in the food. Togami had ordered him some sort of lemon roasted salmon, and a steak for his self. “Sweet man, thanks.”

 

“Don’t mention it, really.” Togami just started eating, carefully selecting a knife and fork and starting to delicately slice a bit of meat off before carefully chewing the meat.

 

Souda looked at the silverware spread, wondering why there were multiple knives and forks, as he lifted up one set, he heard a faint “wrong cutlery” from the man across him. This happened a few times until an irritated Souda managed to pick up the proper utensils. Taking a bite of the salmon, there was a “don’t chew with your mouth open, it’s poor manners.” Souda closed his mouth and chewed on the fish. “Eat slowly, your stomach will get upset otherwise.” This was turning out worse than his date with Ishimaru. Ishimaru didn’t pick everything apart about the way he ate. He was pretty sure no one at the other tables would freak out just because he didn’t use a specific fork. There’s usually only 1 fork and knife at restaurants he goes to.

 

Upon completion of his meal, Souda, didn’t feel satisfied. It wasn’t his hunger, however, it was just, himself. He knew fully well what it was and if he didn’t speak up now, he’d regret it in the morning. “Ey, Togami.”

 

“Yes?” Togami had placed his silverware on the plate and was just awaiting the bill, or at least a chance to ask for dessert.

 

“Okay, look man, I really appreciate you taking me out to this fancy restaurant and all, the food was great and, yeah, I do doubt that I could have gotten in ‘ere any time soon. But…” Togami’s self-satisfied smirk faded at that single word. “Look man, you said it yourself, I wasn’t thinking clearly on Sunday when I asked you out. I was getting desperate. I was just thinking that if I couldn’t be with a certain someone, I could do better than them. And ya know what? It was a stupid decision.”

 

“W-what do you mean? I’m a fine date!” Togami was greatly confused, he didn’t think it would be possible to get dumped by anyone.

 

“Yeah, you are, and you’ll make someone really happy some day, but, I’m not that person. I’ve been tryin’ my hardest to impress you, and that ain’t who I am. You’ve been picking apart every lil’ thing I’ve done wrong, or at least, what you THINK I’ve done wrong. You’ve pretty much been bullying me the entire time. You’ve been talking down to me for the past 3 years at my job. That’s _not_ okay. I have to do what’s best for me. This date is over, Byakuya Togami.”

 

“W-wait a minute!” Togami jumped up in his seat.

 

“We’re in a fancy resturant, don’t make such a scene. And here.” Souda flipped open his wallet, and pulled out about 20,000 yen, placing it on the table. “This should cover my meal. You look shocked? You think that being a world-class mechanic doesn’t pay well?” Souda actually chuckled a little at this. “Goodbye, Togami-kun. You can pick up your cars tomorrow morning.” And with that, Souda stood up, turned away, and walked out of the restaurant.

 

As he stepped out into the dark of the street, he hung his head. ‘ _I made the right choice… right?_ ’ Souda looked back at the restaurant and began the trek home. ‘ _Yeah… I stood up for myself, I didn’t let myself get pushed around, I made a good choice. Who cares if I lose that snob as a customer. I never needed him in the first place. I have plenty of good friends the like me for me… like Ibuki… and Tanaka..._ ’ He looked up to the starry sky, a smile on his face, and climbed the stairs to his apartment.  After slipping out of the suit and tossing it on the couch, he dropped his glasses on the table and belly flopped onto his bed. ‘ _I should talk to Tanaka tomorrow… apologize for leaving so suddenly last time, and for not talking to him much lately._ ’

 

That night, Souda had a nice, relaxing sleep for the first time in a week. Sure he’d have to deal with Togami’s bullshit in the morning, but he didn’t care. He had some great friends, and if he called up Ibuki, maybe he’d have another chance to date someone a little… nicer.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank my friend Forrest (jake--from-state-farm on tumblr) for supplying me with the french dialogue for Togami, and thank my beta reader Jayy (PaleInc on Tumblr), as usual. 
> 
> Expect some fluff in Tomorrow's chapter. Yep, update coming tomorrow too.


	7. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After realizing his mistake and breaking up with Togami, Souda manages to set things straight. He also figures it's time to apologize to Gundam for leaving so abruptly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You wanted Soudam fluff? HERE IT IS! Only took a prologue and 6 chapters. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

 

“Now, Souda, I’m removing the stitches, but still, be a little careful,” Mikan was trying her hardest to keep Souda’s hand still as she removed the threads from his stitches. “You seem to have done a good job making sure they didn’t break, though, so that’s good. Hehe…”

 

Once they’d all been removed, Souda looked at the newly formed scars from his cuts. “Thanks for making these little visits, Mikan. I know you’re awfully busy working at the hospital and all.”

 

“N-no it’s quite alright, don’t worry! I-I mean my shift hasn’t even started yet so it’s not like you were interrupting or anything…”

 

“Alright, but still, thank you. Who knows what coulda happened if I hadn’t have contacted ya when it happened.” His face wore a warm smile as he said those words. “Have a good day, Tsumiki-chan.”

 

“A-alright, you have a good day too, Souda-san!” Mikan left the store feeling rather cheerful, and Souda could finally get back to his work like normal. No hand injury holding him back. It was a relief to him.

 

However, he found himself getting a little upset as he looked at the scars on his hand. Although he knew they would fade in time, it was a reminder of how his emotions got the better of him. A deep breath. Calming the mind. He just had to use that experience and think, “no, I will NOT let my emotions get the better of me again.” He wasn’t hopeless; there was a lot out there for him. He just had to keep looking. For now, he just needed to find the time to go over and talk to Gundam. It wasn’t like he hated him, and he didn’t want what happened in the last week to make it seem like he did. But when to do-

 

“Eh hm?” Souda, who had just been staring at the scar on his hand for the last few minutes, failed to have realized that the door had opened or that the buzzer had rung. And, although he would have prefered to deal with this later, standing before him was Byakuya Togami. Souda didn’t expect much of him. He was here for the cars, right? He wanted to believe that, but a certain unease in Togami’s usually condescending demeanor. It was as if he’d lost his edge. “Yes, Souda?”

 

Souda’s eyebrow rose. “Yeah? Something wrong, Togami?” Togami was having difficulty looking at him. If it weren’t for the fact that Souda could relate to this awkward nervousness, he would have made a wisecrack at this.

 

“Well, don’t tell anyone about this, but… I didn’t just come for my cars. I… wanted to apologize. Not just for last night, either. You were right, I wasn’t giving you a fair shot or anywhere near the respect that you deserve. I just… have a reputation to keep. I already know there is a fair chance that I’ll need to prove myself further as a member of the Togami family once I admit to my father that I am not interested in women. He’s probably going to still expect me to produce an heir… Oh, none of that is important right now. What is important is that I wish to give you my most sincere apologies for my behavior these last 3 years.”

 

Souda’s mouth hung agape. Never, in his entire life, had he expected to receive such an apology. Thinking back on it, he couldn’t actually recall any of the bullies or supposed “friends” he had in middle school ever apologizing to him. This was new. “Uh… wow Togami. I’m glad you learned somethin’ from all this. But yeah, I accept your apology. It means a lot that you went out of your way to say sorry.”

 

“So… you think maybe… you could give me another chance?” Souda did a double take. Was Togami… smiling a little?

 

“Uhhhh… Dude, remember what I said last night? We just aren’t meant for each other.” There was visible disappointment in Togami’s face when those words slipped from Souda’s lips. “Woah there, don’t be upset. You said yourself that dating you might start a shit storm when you take me to see your parents since they have no idea you like guys. And you’re kinda rich and snobby and that kinda clashes with my personality, I may have a bit of money now that I’m working, but I know they probably won’t like my poor back ground, my piercings or my hair color. I’m also quite a bit younger than you... And I just… I don’t know. I don’t think our personalities are exactly compatible either. Just… I don’t want a repeat of last night. You’ll find someone better, I know you will.” Souda have him a nervous smile. “So, sorry?”

 

“... Fine. But Souda, thanks for working on my cars anyway. Can you bring them around?” Togami’s tone was returning to its usual harshness.

 

“Yeah, of course, Mr. Togami.” Souda turned back to the garage and brought all 5 cars around one by one, making sure not to go too fast or else he’d ruin the upholstery with his motion sickness-induced vomiting.

 

He walked back into the garage with the keys, and entered the office. “Here you are, Togami-kun!”

 

The cheeks of the blond reddened. “S-shut up.”

 

A snort passed through Souda’s hand covered mouth as the heir’s teeth clenched, but all fell silent when the little bell above the entrance let out a small chime. “Huh? Naegi?”

 

“Uh, yeah, Hey Souda-san… I know you are probably really busy, but I was wondering if you could look at my bike? I’m having some issues with the chain… Oh, hey Togami!”

 

Togami was a little in shock. “H-hello Naegi.”

 

A rather confused Souda shook his head. “Uh, alright, well, here’s your keys, Togami, and okay Naegi, I can look at it, no charge. It’ll probably just take a moment to fix. How about you two catch up~?” The mechanic shot a wink and Togami, who in turn attempted to repress a blush and mutter ‘fine.’

 

Souda was quick to fix the issue. The chain was loose, there wasn’t too much to do except adjust a few things. The entire time he heard nearly inaudible whispers and mumbling, but he could guess that they were at least having a good conversation. “Alright, it’s fixed.”

 

“Thank you, Souda-san. I really appreciate it.” The smaller brunette took the bike and walked back over to Togami.

 

“So, what are you gonna do now?” Pocketing the wrench, the pink haired mechanic grinned at yet another job well done.

 

The two looked at each other before Togami opened his mouth. “Tell him, Naegi.”

 

“Hehe… Well, we’re going to go out to lunch and catch up on what happened since graduation. Thanks for your help, though!” Naegi walked his bike back outside to move into Togami’s limo.

 

Togami was still avoiding eye contact with Souda. “... Thanks for the date.” He lifted Souda up slightly by his jump suit, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “See you in 6 months for my next maintenance visit. There really aren’t any mechanics better at repairs than you.” With a turn on his heel, Togami exited as well, helping Naegi with his bicycle.

 

The two left, leaving Souda with a satisfied feeling in his heart and a bright red blush gracing his cheeks. “He’s gonna be just fine.” The limo drove away as he watched, restoring his view of the pet shop across the street. “... I should really apologize to Tanaka-san…. He’s probably really concerned about me, and hell forbid he come here and start the conversation.”

 

This trip across the street Souda had made many times before. The familiar smell of the pet shop was a warm enough greeting for him. He pushed open the door, the meow of the buzzer ringing out, shortly followed by the familiar boot steps of a certain someone he had been neglecting for the last week. “Haha! Welcome to my- Souda?” The breeder was in shock. “I am surprised to see you return to my place of business. It feels like it has been ages!”

 

“Yeah… sorry about last time. I just wasn’t really up ta talkin’ much. I really owe you and Miss Sonia an apology… Where is she?”

 

“She had to return to Novoselic, important political matters. Be that as it may… I wish to enquire what happened to your hand?”

 

“Oh, that. Haha… just a little accident at the shop, it’s not a big deal… Did slow me down with my work, though...” Souda sighed, attempting to repress the memories of his last visit.

 

“I do believe I have something I can loan you. Such an unsightly defect is unbefitting of one such as yourself!” Tanaka walked to the back office, and returned with a rubber padded fingerless glove. “Here you are. This shall disguise the mark without hindering your work.”

 

“Wow… Thanks, pal!” Pulling it on, Souda tested it out by doing a simple reflex test with his wrench, twirling it in his fingers, not once dropping it. “Wow, this is great!”

 

“Speak not of my actions, although I appreciate your gratefulness.” A smirk formed on the self-proclaimed ‘ascendant ruler’s’ face. “I cannot converse for long, comrade. I am tending to some of the creatures.” Holding up his arm, a small green garden snake was slithering up his bandaged appendage.

 

“S-snake? SNAKE!” Souda quickly jumped behind a table, quivering with such intensity that the table shook.

 

An audible sigh was followed by the breeder lifting Souda up by the back of his jumpsuit. “Mortal, you must surely jest. This creature means no harm to you or anyone else other than its small rodent prey. Let me show you. Hold out your arm.”

 

“O-Okay….” After regaining his footing, Souda extended his right arm. “I’m trusting you.”

 

“Now… just stay still.” Gundam carefully placed the small reptile’s head on Souda’s arm and it slowly wrapped around it, slithering up towards his face. “Do not flinch lest you startle it.”

 

Souda began his deep breathing exercises as the snake inched closer and closer to his face, closing his eyes until he felt a slight tickle. “Hehe, hey, quit it!” He opened his eyes to see the snake’s tongue darting out and licking his cheek. “That tickles!”

 

“Do you understand now? This creature is more tame than even my dark lords. How would you mortals say it. They are just as afraid of you as you are of them. This one is shy. All it needs is a small amount of caring and trust, and a companion for life you shall have. Not scary in the slightest!”

 

“Yeah--  I guess you’re right.” A chuckle was let out as Gundam took the snake back into his arms before returning it to it’s cage.

 

“So, is there anything else I may assist you with?”

 

“N-no. But, thanks man. This was fun. I’ll try to visit more often now that my hand’s all fixed. Have a good day, Tanaka!” Souda waved and received an approving nod from Tanaka before departing from the pet shop. That visit, he considered, was the best thing that had happened in the entire last week. The fact that Tanaka still considered him a friend after the whole ordeal last Sunday was reassuring. “Well… better call up Ibuki. Probably wonderin’ why I never got back to her after that date with Leon...”  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my friend Jayy (paleinc on Tumblr) for beta reading this for me!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here's the prologue of the fic that I wrote for my friend. The fact I wrote this for them will slightly effect things since we did collaborate a little bit and some funny events did come from this. I might leave the other pairing a little... ambiguous for the surprise of who Souda dates. Hope you enjoy this, and I'm glad to be able to finally be able to post this for my friend. Thanks for reading :3
> 
> ~Sammy Phantom


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